


What's inside of me (Is something u can't have)

by ReizJaruu13



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Aomine is a rich bastard here, Desperate Attempts at Humor, Fluff, It will be tamed soon enough though ;), Kise's bitchy attitude, M/M, Mpreg, Unrequited Love, angsty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-29
Updated: 2016-07-11
Packaged: 2018-03-19 21:29:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 49,819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3624885
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReizJaruu13/pseuds/ReizJaruu13
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sakurai is Aomine's shining new boytoy...</p><p>But after almost 5 months, Sakurai is not that shiny anymore...</p><p>The bluenette says that this relationship was just for pleasure's sake. And Sakurai is too naive to hope that they could be more than that...</p><p>That's why he couldn't bring himself to be furious when Aomine make out with someone else...</p><p>Oh and one more thing, what's this thing kicking right inside his belly?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Boytoy

**Author's Note:**

> Enjoy some Aosaku!!!  
> I love this ship so please ship this...
> 
> ;)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A short prologue...
> 
> Sakurai is submerged in a sea of lovely illusions, still too hesitant to be pulled to reality.
> 
> He's too martyr to drown himself in beautiful lies that to be saved by the truth full of pain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AoSaku feels guys...
> 
> Be ready....
> 
> Have a nice day...

"Oh! He's Aomine-kun's new toy, right?"  
A girl whispered on her friend in a not so whisper-like manner as they passed the lockers.

Sakurai had been fixing up his things while his head hung low. Once he heard the conversation, his body grew stiff...

Toy.

'I've got nothing to do with you except from sex. I have no responsibility or whatsoever. Us... we are nothing.'

The reminder kept buzzing into his ear repeatedly and he desperately prevented his tears from falling off. Sakurai would never let them saw him this weak and desperate just because of the bluehaired ace.

"I heard he'd got some new toys, though. And he'd started seeing someone from Kaijo. I believe they have a once a relationship in the past."  
The other girl said.

"Poor Sakurai, I hope he didn't fall inlove too deeply for Aomine-kun"

"Oh really? By the way that brunette almost worship Aomine-kun like a king, how could you say that he couldn't fall in love with him head over heels?"

The other girl giggled

"Awwww... Too bad, Aomine-kun only likes girls. Such fags like him were just for his entertainment."

He gripped the handle of his locker tightly. Why? Why did he even let himself befall of this? Why? 

The girls seems not to notice his existence and continued talking. As if they didn't saw him at all, or as if they're pretending themselves to be.

They took time passing down the hallway while discreetly rubbing on to Sakurai's face how pathetic he is. And when they're out of sight, they made sure that Sakurai could still hear them.

'Oh god, why did Aomine even hit on that kind of filth?'

These are the words he last heard before they totally dispersed or when he totally can't take everything anymore and cried.

Aomine is so out of this world. There's no way Sakurai could ever reach him. He's like lightyears away, and the brunette had no idea of what to do to close the gap. Because Sakurai -He knows, but it still hurts to admit it to himself- is just your normal, trying hard to be special teenage boy.

He trained equally hard. He studied ever so often. Yet why is he still being left out? Everyone in his team is growing rapidly, yet in the case of Sakurai, he's still the same. Just your boring, average shooting guard.

Sakurai had too many insecurities, yet he pushed them down in the deepest depths of his naive heart. The world is to cruel, but he would never let that fact pull him down. He would never break. Ever.

Or that's what he's telling to himself...

He's always lured. And now, he's still trapped on the illusion that was impossible beyond doubts to be real.

'Hello Aomine-kun. Practice is going to start now.' 

Once he was finished fixing everything in his gym bag and locker, he texted the bluenette immediately. Although it disheartened him that the dark bluehead didn't reply to his texts that often after 5 months since they started a "relationship", he can't bring himself to not send him with even just a single message.

'It's your option when you decided to be a part of this relationship. So you don't have the right to act like your my girlfriend, 'coz seriously Ryou, it's disgusting'

The words resurfaced and echoed throughout his mindscape.

Ah, he remembered that one time when Aomine barged into their locker room and ask for a quick fuck, Sakurai, as one of the sea of hard core admirers of him, didn't say no.

It's already been late in the evening and the two of them were the only ones remaining inside. Sakurai didn't knew if it was because of Aomine's sultry voice or his hooded eyes that enchanted the brunette to succumb to his selfish wants.

Sakurai's been hiding his sexuality for too long, and eventhough his parents were neutral about it, he wouldn't want to take the risk of revealing it infront of everyone.

But now, it doesn't make sense anymore. Because once they did "it", the news spread like wildfire. Almost all the people in the campus had known that he's actually gay. They've got mixed reactions, indifference, scandalized, and disagreement. But most of them had one thing in common, disgust. Yet besides every criticisms, he never regretted everything. He never forgot those months full of closure and possibly, friendship. The times where they sneak out kisses or purposely groping each other when no one is looking. Those moments are the things he can't forget.

However, any of those moments they shared didn't seemed to have existed in the first place. The five months they spend together seemed to be nothing.

Sakurai had refused to believe that he's just one of his toys. He refused to believe that he would only last about a month or two. And by then, Aomine would discard him and act like they didn't know each other. Afterall, he hated boring people.

And now, much to his horror, the rumours had started becoming real. It's gradually pulling him back into the reality. Those months that they're together seemed like a delusion. Sakurai had even thought that it was just a dream at one time. A dream where he didn't want to wake up. A nightmare who tempted him to fall for its trap.

A beep was heard coming from his phone.

When the icon says that it comes from Aomine, Sakurai enthusiastically opened it.

'Text another message again and Imma beat ya up'

The reply made his heart sink even deeper.

So he completely discarded him indeed. He disregard him like a simple old tshirt and had possibly found something worth better than him.

But as if he even have a worth after all.

"Ow"

A soft gasp had elicited from his mouth when a wave of dizziness attacked him. Again.

He'd started experiencing them for one and a half week already, and he never had any suspicions of why he's currently suffering this almost every morning.

With wobbly feet, he went for a short stop to the restroom. He needs to consult a doctore, perhaps.

.... And then burgers, lots of'em...

He may be having a cold or a flu already.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Continue or not?
> 
> Don't hesitate to drop suggestions and kudos!!!


	2. The Naive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sakurai never endured those bullying and snickering remarks about him for nothing...
> 
> He just wanted to get everything over. He just wanted to graduate as soon as possible, find a decent job, and if possible marry a nice girl...
> 
> And now, he wonders how his pathetic life could be even worse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is your most awaited update!!!  
> I hope it's worth the wait...

Sakurai's life is dull and boring...  
And he would very much want it to stay that way...  
Because it's better... way better than anything he's been experiencing now...

"Woah... He is Aomine's whore right?"

"Correction mister. He WAS Aomine-kun's whore..."

"Aaaaww. Was he discarded already? How about I fuck him too? He's kind of cute, actually."

"The fuck dude. Him? Out of all people? Had your standards degraded already?"

"Eeeeewww just looking at him makes me feel disgusted."

"He'd got such thick cheeks isn't he? Acting all angelic. In the end, he's still a cocksucking slut."

"I wonder how he could manage going back to school at this rate."

Whispers. Snickers. All saying the same thing. The more he ignored it, the more it gets even more cruel.

Starting from that day when he accepted Aomine in his life, the way students treated him became way more downgrading.

Yet Sakurai stayed standing. He kept his chin up to face each day ignorant to those insults indirectly or directly sent to him.

He promised himself not to let anything break him. He told himself that these were all worth it. All he need is to endure further. All he need is to work harder.

But is it really worth it? Or is it just his own way to keep himself from hurting? That all he needs is a little sliver of hope to continue living?

His small ray of hope is Aomine. Sakurai continued going back to school because of him. Sakurai continued being indifferent from those judgemental eyes that never cease to criticise him everyday just because of him.

And with that hope slowly fading, he found his resolve to live gradually crumbling too.

He falsely made himself believe that these people are just envious. That they are damaging Sakurai until he give up Aomine, until they had gotten the chance to steal Aomine-kun away.

Sakurai mildly expected Aomine to defend him, to snap at them and hug Sakurai so close and whisper that no one could ever harm his brunette anymore.

But of course that never happened, Aomine would just either smirk or laugh dismissively. As if Sakurai didn't matter anymore. A very horrible fact that he'd been trouble accepting.

After managing himself to survive his way until to the classroom, he silently slipped in his seat and waited for the teacher to come.

There were times when he would love being himself from before. His classmates those days would rather ignore his existence or just dismiss his presence. Because at that moment, he would enjoy staring at the trees and the student at the window or entertain himself with a book.

Rather than now, that he'd been the hot seat for awhile. But that doesn't mean he regretted it. Afterall, he had met Aomine and it was one of the most wonderful thing that had happened in his life.

At least, it's what he think it is.  
.  
.  
.  
.  
.  
Aomine is absent yet again.

Sakurai remebered his text yesterday.

Is he really letting me go now?

His train of thoughts was interrupted when the teacher came in. The whole lecture session passed before Sakurai's mind in a haste and he wanted to end the day already. And maybe get himself to see the blue haired ace. He really had missed him.  
.  
.  
.  
.  
.  
"Sakurai-kun, are you sure you're alright? You look like your in daze."

The Touo's official manager, Momoi Satsuki, inquired the doe-eyed bownhead who seemed to be looking miserable lately.

"I'm fine Momoi-san. You don't have to fret."  
Sakurai answered briefly, dribbling the ball and shooting it. Air ball. Sakurai heaved a deep sigh and ran up to get it.

Momoi eyed him, even more concerned. Sakurai is not being himself for the past weeks. He would refuse hanging out with them and he would often end up more exhausted than what he should be.

It's not that she didn't know the rumours already. The team said nothing but they're slowly keeping their distance away from Sakurai. Judging from the turn of events, the nuthead would resign from the club and possibly transfer schools, anyway.

She's concerned. Yes. But that's not one of her responsibilities. So she won't mingle in the problems of others. She's not the one to judge him.

It seems that ignorance is Sakurai's greatest talent. Because he's actually managing to conceal his nausea subtly. Once the practice was really finished, he's going to eat hamburgers. He didn't like nor distaste them, but he's been craving for awhile and what's more better than to satisfy it?

Practice seemed to flow fluidly. Momoi thought. The team are not attached enough to be affected when one is suffering a difficult predicament. After all, the team exist to win with the use of individual prowess.

The pinkette sighed. If Sakurai continues his performance like this, he would be demoted eventually.  
.  
.  
.  
.  
.  
Practice was, at last, over. Sakurai scrambled through the pile of burgers he just bought from Maji. Upon opening one, he scavenge it like he'd been hungry for months. He's indeed hungry, alright.

The brownhead's gaze diverted to his phone lying oh so innocently on top of his bag. His mind wandered from the day before when his team's ace sent him the message.

Would he really beat me up when I send him another text?

He wondered. Though he didn't have so much time to ponder with the consequences when he sent the text immediately after typing.

'Aomine-kun. How are you? You're absent today. I missed you.'

Just after that, he checked the time (10:32 pm) and fell into a deep slumber right in his cheap apartment's small kitchen.  
.  
.  
.  
.  
.

12:14

Sakurai was awaken from his painful sleeping position with the harsh banging of the door.

Half-asleep, he trudged dazely to the main door, too lazy to accomodate the unexpected guest.

"Ryou..."  
A deep voice whispered. Sakurai knew that voice all too well. It was engraved at the very core of his heart.

"Ao... Aomine... kun..."  
The nuthead managed to choke out. One could say that he was happy, that Aomine had exerted an effort to come at his little apartment this late at night.

But something feels not right.

"Aomine-kun? Are you drunk?"  
He asked. His gut weighing pounds heavier.

"Forget the pleasantries will we, Ryou? I came here for a quick fuck."

"H-Ha?"

"What? That's all you want right? Sending that message when I'm on a date with someone else. Too bad she's always prying off my business. She saw your email and kicked me out."

Aomine said, sounding very nonchalant. As if being kicked out by your date in the middle of it is not humiliating.

"But it's okay now. Because you're here right?"

Sakurai felt one of his hands being held and his waist clutched so tenderly.

And it is where Sakurai's naivety resurfaced. It is when he whispered hopeful words to Sakurai like that. He makes Sakurai dream far too high.

But Sakurai had already snapped from his reverie. With a weak resolve he pushed the ace away.

Aomine looked pissed than ever.

"What the hell is wrong with you? I'm losing my patience already."  
He warned.

Then a wave of nausea striked right at the moment. Sakurai feels sick and very tired almost too sudden.

"I can't Aomine-kun. I'm sorry, I'm tired. We can't do it now. If you want to sleep here then you're free to do so. I'm sorry, I'm sorry."  
The nuthead tried explaining as softly as possible.

"No Ryou, I came here because I want you."

That's all what Aomine can say before he roughly lifted up the weakened teen and brought him to the bedroom he knew very well where, slamming the door close.

"Aomine-kun--- wait Aomine-kun!"

The pleas was heard by deaf ears as the whole room was later on filled with gasps, muffled screams and silent tears. A thick musk of pleasure and agony embraced the two.

Aomine pounded behind him without mercy and eventhough he always hit Sakurai's sweet spot, the nuthead had been too tired to cherish the sensation.

He blacked out with his face still firmly planted on his pillow.

Aomine-kun is right. Things like this, eventhough very sinful, always ended up with Sakurai enjoying it.

Up to the last pulp.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Suggestions? Comments?
> 
> Please don't kill me, yeah?


	3. The Hopeless

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sakurai is not stupid. Yet what alters his judgement this tragic is his own thirst. 
> 
> His own thirst for love.
> 
> Love that could blurr your rational thoughts until you became blind.
> 
> And when you became blind, that is when people accuse you for being so idiotic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I updated this story because I wanted to deliver punishment to Aomine so soon...
> 
> Am I cruel?
> 
> Kekekeke... I wanted to laugh my madness away... Guess I would laugh forever then...
> 
> XD

With groggy eyes, Sakurai lazily watched the bare back of the tanned teen who was crouched down to pull his pants up his waist.

It's really been an enigma how Sakurai could fall for someone as arrogant and inconsiderate like Aomine. But yet again, it is a mystery why Sakurai is born to be an imbecile.

Aomine kept pistoling inside him all night long so it's natural if Sakurai's legs were numbed from exertion and his rear aching with a promise of hell.

The clanking sounds of the belt being buckled is the signal that Sakurai's momentary bliss had been ended.

'Your temporary stay in heaven has already expired, now go back to hell.'

Aomine is no cuddler. He's not fond of kisses either. So right after getting what he needed, he left. He leave snatching Sakurai's heart along the way, and Sakurai? He's left with nothing.

What do you expect from an unconditional love anyway? Nothing.

During these times, Sakurai would limply follow the bluenette outside asking insignificant questions and blurting out random things. Anything to prevent Aomine to walk outside his door too soon. But Aomine didn't slow down to match the pace of his handicapped partner.

He never did, leaving Sakurai to starve for more. To desperately do everything just to delay his leave. But today had been even worse for the brunette.

The usual physical pain he's enduring after the intercourse seemed to intensify tenfolds. And since Aomine is not some kind of ideal lover who would do sweet stuffs like carrying Sakurai for a bath or giving him a breakfast on bed, the poor nuthead contented himself staring at the ace's retreating back.

He cannot get up anyway. And Aomine would neither spare him a single glance nor bid him goodbye. With a brief click, Sakurai is left to rot in shambles again. To a world where there is no Aomine and happiness, only a messed up life of an introvert proclaimed as a slut.

Quick fuck indeed. As time passed by, the fog that blurred reality right inside Sakurai's thick skull had started clearing.

He hated to admit it, but those people that criticized him ended up as the ones that pulled Sakurai from drowning in his fantasies.

Fantasies that were too good to be true.

.  
.  
.  
.  
.  
When Sakurai's frustrations concerning a particular aho get the better part of him, it had been his self-constructed routine (since weeks before) to resort eating some comfort food at Maji.

His cravings for burgers got even worse. And the drastic increase of his appetite is questionable.

Small things that didn't bother him before irritates him now. Especially that brush of blonde locks that belonged to someone very familiar who is sitting right in front of Aomine inside Maji--

Wait. The only blonde he knows from Kaijo that would dare approach the bluehead within 5 meter radius (or lesser) is...

Kise.

The two of them inside Maji Burger alone in a good-for-two table conversing like normal beings only means one thing.

They're dating. And hey, that pierced another arrow on Sakurai already thorned heart.

He's envious and insecure. The only time Aomine is smirking like the one he is giving Kise now is when he had found Sakurai's sweet spot to ram until the shooting guard had nothing left to milk out.

It hurts. Damn much. Curse his heart for clenching so tight in pain. Curse him for falling for someone who would never bat him an eyelid. Curse his life.

They, Aomine and he, never spent time outside to chat about stupid things or laugh like petty, careless children. Or maybe Aomine did spent time with him.

Like when he bent Sakurai on the small kitchen counter and do him from behind. Or when he tied the nuthead on a chair and torture him for hours. Or when he take the brunette on the wall and hook Sakurai's legs on his strong arms when they collapsed.

Sakurai wanted to cry so hard.

He finally decided to go find another food chain that sells burgers too instead. The burgers on Maji were far better than anything though.  
.  
.  
.  
.  
.  
Wakamatsu stared agape at the five bentos Sakurai had managed to empty within minutes. Heck, he didn't let anyone share even.

Momoi managed to convince the basketball team (with the exception of yourstruly, Ahomine) to eat lunch together inside the court for some idotic reasons like team building that is not really necessary.

The pinkette is smart enough to know that Touo was not a team that works strategies together. So Wakamatsu assumed that she summoned all of them for an entirely different reason.

Given that the manager almost begs on her knees for Sakurai to come with them, Wakamatsu's rising suspicions were further proven.

Now here they are, eating homemade and take out lunches, munching like animals and eating like primates as usual. But eventhough how much the situation looks normal, they knew that something is amiss.

"What's with a high appetite Sakurai-kun? I also observed that your vomitting had been fallen into a regular pattern too. You're showing the signs of someone conceiving a baby. Are you pregnant?"

Imayoshi, the captain, joked.

The brownhead had been beaten enough by the bullies and the gossips that still lingers in the hallways of the academy. Sakurai had been through a lot, lately.

Wakamatsu felt guilt creeping him for ignoring his poor lowerclassman, yet he pushed it away. What happened to the brunette is his own responsibility, he solve it himself.

But it looks like the recipient of the pun had taken it seriously by the way he stiffened his posture. The brownhaired player dropped his chopsticks abruptly and the whole team, for the first time, kept quiet.

It's ridiculous to think that it's because of Sakurai. A person that looks down himself as a creature lower than a pest.

"G-Gomen, I-Imayoshi-senpai. Sumimasen."

Sakurai started, laughing nervously to mask his upset demeanor.

Something is indeed not right. Wakamatsu felt like he is treading dangerous waters. Sakurai is releasing that vibe when he wants people to take him seriously.

It only happens when they were on matches and the shooting guard is too tired of being underestimated. Yet this moment, the aura Sakurai is releasing seems even scarier.

"--But I really think that pregnancy happens on females only."  
The brownhead finished.

Momoi, who was eating her food delicately, added a recent information she deeply hoped to be helpful.

"Usually it is, Sakurai-kun. But lately, news about the recent discovery of scientists had been viral. They said that due to climate changes and variations of other necessary external factors that affects humans directly and indirectly--"

She plucked one honey coated strawberry, popped it on her mouth, and further said:

"--our race had started the next step to evolution. Biologists found out that some males begun developing uterus that could possibly be fertilized by sperm cells. But guys with this condition were so scarse."

All the guys listened to the pretty game analist with awe. The freshly dropped knowledge still taking a toll on their mind processing.

"See, Sakurai-kun? No need to be so tense. And besides, I really intended it to be a good natured joke. Please don't let it affect you so much. Unless you really are~"

Imayoshi then interrupted, his lips stretching into a thin, impish grin.

"What's inside the belly of our little princess? Is it a girl or a boy?~"  
Another one further added.

The rest of the team laughs.

Then after that, another crack a joke about him too. Then another and another. And as time ticked by, the jokes became more and more degrading.

Momoi darted her eyes from side to side in anxiety.

Sakurai had been used being the object of ridicule. This must not bother him anymore. But the boiling surge of foreign, raging emotion dominated the resigned part of his being and he didn't knew what came into him when--

Slam.

And for the record, the whole gym is silenced once again.

"I'm sorry, but it's not funny anymore."

"I know you wanted to get rid of me as soon as possible."

"But please. Treat me a little more human."

After hastily packing up his things, he walked out from the gym, leaving a petrified crowd behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm once a typical, rainbow-eating, delusional girly girl that dreams for a handsome prince charming, etc. Etc.
> 
> Then shit happens.
> 
> Now I'm a yaoi obsessed, mad fangirl that feeds through a daily dose of boys love.
> 
> My fellow, deranged fans, please don't be afraid to raise your flags.
> 
> That's how beautiful life is. :")


	4. The One Left Behind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ima-senpai thinks that its better to ask Saku-chan's forgiveness once and for all...
> 
> But besides that, another unexpected guest appeared in the doorstep and got the utterly wrong idea...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things had been getting a little hectic lately...  
> I'm really sorry my lovable readers... huhuhuhu!
> 
> I know you don't deserve this kind of cruelty so I put more effort in this chap! XD
> 
> I hope this unexpectedly long update would make up to it?
> 
> Once again, thank you! And I'm very sorry!

Sakurai walked pass through the group of sniggering girls briskly. He didn't care when one of them pointed one accusing finger towards him while laughing in a very sinister manner.

As if Sakurai committed a very shameful sin.

As if Sakurai is an overly damaged livestock, tainted and completely not useful anymore.

As if Sakurai didn't deserve a space in this world. A place in their own colorful world.

He wanted to crawl to a secluded place and stay there for the rest of his life, forever isolated from the cruel entities outside. Yet despite these plans of escape from his miserable life, somewhere deep inside him- somewhere in the braver part of his being- questioned:

Why. Why does he have to suffer this kind of hell? Why does he have to run from those judgmental gazes who never cease to criticize, criticize, criticize. A smaller voice in his head kept yelling: It's not his fault. There's nothing wrong with falling inlove.

The flaw is the person whom you are inlove with. Because when you fall, fall, fall, he will never be there to bolt into a run and catch you. And then there you are, in the ground, with broken bones and a deep trench in your heart.

With wounds that even time can barely heal.

'He will never have the ears to listen to your pleas.'

The brunette didn't miss the couple making out at the farther, less seen area just behind one of the school's establishment, their visibility even reduced by a bulky tree that shaded them from the prying eyes of the passers by.

The familiar speck of blue hair from the lean, tan skinned student that traps a petite girl (a raven this time) to the nearby wall made his stomach churned achingly. And Sakurai could just stare. Pathetically and hopelessly. Because in the first place, all he could do is just that.

Sakurai almost never noticed the tears that continued to roll down his cheeks as he fastly paced towards the large metal gates of Touo Academy. A figurative gate that diversed him from the havoc inside.

He wanted to go home. If you could call a lonely house, empty and cold, as one.

. . . . .

The moment Sakurai entered his apartment, a wave of nausea instantly hit him. The fatigue caused by emotional stress and physical exhaustion from the even more hellish training regimen for the upcoming tournament was way worse than usual.

It doesn't help when he sprinted himself out of breath until he reached the bus station. His body felt tons heavier and his head is spinning that he's almost close to fainting.

His phone suddenly rings.

"H-Hello?"

Sakurai croaked. He didn't notice how his voice faltered a little.

'Ryou-chan? You sounded feverish, is there something wrong?'

A baritone voice from the other line replied with a hint of worry. Just like Sakurai's, only a notch deeper. 

"I'm fine, Otou-chan. We've been practicing a little too hard lately. You know... Winter cup and all..."

That's not a lie either. The preparation for the upcoming tournament is taxing Sakurai's body way too much.

'Aah... I see... But you seemed way more exhausted than usual... Even on the last Inter High, you could still watch television until midnight or study your lessons in advance...'

Oh. So he'd noticed too. Recently, his father had been busy. He needs to travel from one place to another in order to fix the dispute between the two factions of the company.

That's why he never got the chance to call Sakurai for awhile. All he could manage are some late night texts that he could manage to sneak in between his forums and seminars. All of which were read when Sakurai was already tucked in bed.

"Papa... I'm fine... I promise..."

Sakurai insisted. Eventhough these circumstances had been occurrent lately, he never failed to update his father about his current situation. (Sakurai tells him all, though he leave the part concerning Aomine out of the story.)

'Please forgive Papa for prying okay? It's just... I'm too worried... You're body clock had been shifted drastically, you sleep way longer than usual... You're always too tired... And... and... you're appetite had been changed... All of these had been running for weeks--'

His voice is just as sweet as fresh honeycomb and as sultry as the soft hum of the wind in monsoons. Just as sweet and sultry as way before. And Sakurai had missed listening to the mellow melody in it that lull him to sleep years ago when they're still not apart.

"Otou-chan... I'm... I'm sorry for making you worry but..."

'Please, dear... Consult a doctor if you have time okay?"

"Okay..."

'Aaah... I have another client... I'll call you later before bedtime, kay?'

"Kay."

'I love you, Ryou-chan...'

His Otou-chan might not be as brash or as rough as any other guys around...

"Love you too, 'tou-chan."

But his father's everlasting kindness and humility had been enough reason for Sakurai to adore and be proud of him. He really is the carbon copy of his father, (maybe a little worse than him, but that's okay.) and people sometimes took advantage of him for bearing such kind of golden attittude. But it doesn't matter.

And what only followed was the succession of quiet beeps.

Knock. Knock.

Sakurai's head tilted in confusion as he heard a tentative knock at his door. A portion of him desperately hoped that the one standing at his doorstep is Aomine Daiki. The almighty, unreachable light waiting for an insignificant Sakurai to open the door for him.

He somehow dreamed the time when Aomine would embraced him in a firm yet tender hug to ease his sorrows and calm his unyielding, internal storm. Then Aomine would tell him in a smooth, gentle voice: how he was sorry for treating Sakurai like dirt and how he wanted to cage this wimpy, stuttering brunette away from harm.

And so he opened the door...

"I-Imayoshi... S-senpai..."

He managed to choke out. Sure, his imagination could travel him to very wild and impossible expectations but this scenario had gotten beyond of it.

"I see that you're expecting someone to come knocking your door instead of me."

The raven said. The signature cheshire smile that he's sporting dropped a little once he saw the brunette. He took note of Sakurai's hollow cheeks and even more frail physique. The brownhead was not really in his best shape to face the captain.

The memories awhile ago when Sakurai snapped the whole team flashed before his mind like a dark themed horror movie. The attitude that he'd presented right before the whole basketball club is rude and unacceptable.

Just because of the uncontrolable surge of his petty emotions, he threw the relationship he had manage to build with his teammates for over months already. He shut out those people who might be able to stand him throughout these odds.

There will be no wonder if the club decided to kick him out anytime soon.

He felt miserable and he really didn't want to face this right now.

But he have no choice. They deserve an apology and they will going to get it.

"S-Sumimasen! Sumimasen! Sumimasen!"

He shouted in anxiety, continuously bowing infront of his senior.

"Ne, Sakurai-kun. There's no need for you to apologize--"

"But it's my fault Imayoshi-senpai! I-- My behavior-- I h-have been rude and unreasonable--"

Sakurai babbled, tears were now starting to swell out from the corners of his brownish orbs. As seconds passed, his face is becoming paler and paler. His knees buckled in weakness and his upperclassman made a gesture to catch him if he ever did fall on his butt.

After making himself sure that he was fine, he ushered his senior towards his moderately sized and neatly maintained living room. (Because it's unethical to hold a conversation with the guest infront of the main door and it is just proper to sit down on a couch like any normal human being.)

"Sakurai-kun. Please calm down. I have something to tell you..."

The brunette hesitantly halted and began heaving deep, stable breaths. Imayoshi took this as a cue to continue, scratching his head and looking unusually sheepish.

"I should be the one extending the apology. Leading a rather cruel and offending joke is immature and unjustifiable for a captain like me. And also, I would like to ask for forgiveness in behalf of the whole team. All of them had been thoroughly shaken when you left. And practice didn't go well as usual so..."

His teammates were unable to concentrate because of him. Because of his heavy outburst, the whole club's training regimen had been affected. All just because of him.

This is so embarassing.

"I-I'm sorry! I'm sorry for burdening the whole team, captain! I'm sorry, I'm--"

"Jeez, Sakurai-kun. That's not what am I trying to say, I'm not here to spite you. What am I trying to point out is that, you're a part of us. Sure, we've all been minding our own businesses almost all of the time but the months we spent with each other arentr just for nothing, right?"

Imayoshi's smile widened.

"Senpai..."

"My, my. Don't look at me like that, Sakurai-kun! Big boys aren't in for crying anymore!" The senior chuckled. "Oh look! And Momo had even made you honeyed lemons as a sorry gift!" He said, lifting a pink container.

In an instant, all gathered emotions in Sakurai's heart clampered together in a mass of warmth. He felt significant. Out of the sudden, his naive heart began hoping that somewhere, somehow, there are people who bothered making him realize that he, too, has importance.

His chest tighten and he felt unconsiderably happy.

"Waaaaaah!!! Senpaaaaai!!!"

He shouted as he glomped his shocked captain into a fluffy, tight bear hug.

That's all he needs anyway. And his senior is the poor victim of existing near his vicinity.

Hugging really makes you feel better and stress-free. Though he rather prefer to be embraced in the warmth radiating from suntanned skin, he is not one born to complain.

He barely noticed the opening of the already unlocked door to reveal another unwelcomed and absolutely, unexpected guest.  
. . . . .

Too delicate.  
"Aaahhh~ Be careful Aomine-kun."

Too frail.

"Please go a little smoother, Aomine-kun~~ It hurts right here."

Too soft.

"Ouch! Ahhh! Go slow~~"

Aomine grunted in irritation as he unceremoniously released the complaining girl down on the ground in a heap. Seriously, this girl is so demanding. Who does she think she is? A princess? She's the one who almost kneeled infront of him just to get a short good time session and she. Dare. Complain? Fuck it.

"Ao-Aomine-kun?"

The girl is downright beautiful. Smooth, flushed skin. Silky, jetblack hair. Rounded and soft blue eyes. And by just looking down on her, sprawled and vulnerable on the ground and bearing the swollen, luscious lips that are slightly parted with unsatiated hunger and confusion, it will make you lust to get inside her undies even more.

But the ace had almost enough. He could barely stand her too high-pitched voice and too weak body. There are still bunch of much tougher girls that could satisfy him anyway, so he's going to get rid of her now.

"I forgot I've got somewhere to go. I'll leave you here now. See ya."

He dismisses, waving an impassive hand while buttoning his uniform with the free one.

"But Aomine-kun! We've been here in barely half an hour!"

The girl cried incredulously, her pretty face scrunched up in hopelessness and desperation. 

(She must consider herself lucky enough to hog half an hour from Aomine's too busy schedule.)

Aaaah. This is the most difficult part. Some say that he's just like the other Kaijou womanizer, Kise. But unlike the kinder and more considerate blonde, Aomine is way brutal. He had no qualms leaving girls in wreck and broken hearted. All they chase on him is his fame and body anyway.

He even remembered that one time when Kise chastised him for being cold and heartless during one of their heavy, lust-filled sessions. He didn't say anything though, he felt so good after some rough play that he hadn't got in a while. And that's more important than anything.

All in all, Aomine didn't care. He didn't care about these insignificant things altogether.

"Aomine-kun, please!!! I won't complain anymore!!! Just, let's just finish this, okay?! Pretty please?!"

The girl (Hikaru? Hikura? Sakura? Whatever.) pleaded behind him while clutching his sleeve with her slender and manicured hand. She bit her lips and stared up to him with puffy, swelling eyes.

Right then, another scene flashed back inside his head. Images of the situation achingly similar to this swallowed his focus up and transported him to a dimension of reminiscent memories in a matter of seconds.

In short, a sudden, quick flashback.

FLASHBACK...

"How many times do I have to tell you to relaaaaaax, Ryou? We've done this before already."

Aomine hissed as he waited the other to adjust to his length. That mushroom must thank him for being way considerate until now. Because Aomine waiting for someone weak must be a once in a century phenomenon.

Everything had gone quite good until this moment. But Sakurai is a rookie in this kind of things so he's going to use some tolerance. Just a little bit.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

A tensed yet naked and delicious-looking Sakurai squeaked beneath him. His big, round eyes widened and his bringing his palms together. Way too fuckin' cu--

"What the hell," The bluenette chuckled almost fondly. "What are you? A virgin?"

"I'm sorry Aomine-kun. I'm really not feeling well, today."

"..."

"...."

"If you're not loosening up then I've got to go. I still have places to come for. And they're delayed just because of you. Just tell me if you're already alright so that we could do some hot stuff again."

The tanned teen grumbled dismissively. Pulling himself up and gathering his clothes, no longer hyped up to continue things. He would buy the latest Mai-chan mag first, find some random girl to ravish, and maybe end up inside the blonde's luxurious apartment blown up and thoroughly satisfied.

"Ao-Aomine-kun?! Aomine-kun?! C-Could you please stay for awhile? Please? You could do it... for me right? After all our relationship is not just because of sex, right?"

Sakurai trailed after him like a puppy until he reached the door. His voice sounded so hopeful and naive. And for just a second, Aomine felt a little bit guilty. But don't get him wrong, the reason why Aomine is still bothering to keep him was not because he's already developing some kind of affection towards Sakurai.

That's bullcrap.

It's that, Sakurai is a way more interesting toy alright. It's that, its shine hadn't lost yet. (But it will, someday, soon enough) He drove Aomine with bounty rounds of raw and deep-skinned pleasure not any ordinary girl (or people in general) could could offer.

He's determined to make Aomine happy. He didn't complain when Aomine throws him nonchalantly on the bed or shove him roughly in the wall. He's not as delicate and as frail as the typical, lusting girls that worshipped Aomine.

Aomine could also lap any expanse of his skin freely. The ace is not prohibited to leave as many scratches and hickeys as he can on Sakurai's oddly soft and fairly pale skin for all he cares. So different when he's doing it with Kise. There's always limitation and because the bastard is modeling, the blonde didn't allow him to bite the flesh visible and uncovered by cloth.

Discarding Sakurai didn't seem to be a loss on him anyhow. Though he would miss eating great-tasting bentos and having his homework answered with no charge... and maybe also having his clothes washed and ironed in the morning if he ever stayed overnight.... and also having a cup of milky coffee and chocolate... and maybe-- oh shit.

Maybe Sakurai is spoiling him way too much. But that didn't make any difference at all.

"I thought I made it clear already that I'm with you with just that reason and only that."

He walked pass through a devastated Sakurai and muttered with his head turned behind, voice cold.

"That's just not the way I do things. Deal with it."

And the door was slammed shut.

END FLASHBACK...

Just imagining the smaller brunette patiently waiting for Aomine like a good, little puppy made his insides churned in a way pleasurable manner.

Aomine can't wait to devour him anymore. To abuse the same sweet spot that unleashes sinful, 18+ rated sounds from his pretty little mouth.

Maybe he would make Sakurai wear one of his shirts too. That would make him even more delicious. And then at the morning he would enjoy how the brownhead limped to brew him a cup of coffee.

Suddenly, the girl beside him seems not significant at all. His little boy down below had been throbbing to enter one particular, tight hole.

After casually brushing off the poor, clinging girl, Aomine broke into a run, too eager to meet his current and main center of attention.

Like every other toy Aomine played, its shine would wear off anyway. Time will come that he's not interesting anymore. That he's not even worthy of Aomine's attention at all...

Well... forget about it, for now. Aomine still needs him to satisfy his raging libido.

Sakurai's hazel eyes would widen in anticipation as the door opens. His cute, obedient toy would embrace him in a welcoming warmth and offer to cook one of his favorite meals.

He arrived panting infront of Sakurai's apartment, already half hard.

Except when he opened the door (he's too familiar with it that he didn't knock anymore) he found the nuthead hugging someone else.

A familiar figure too close to be his sly captain.

Just. What. The. Fuck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please, please, please, please drop kudos???  
> *beautiful eyes*
> 
> Love yah! Mwaaaaah!!!
> 
> Corrections are welcomed here!!!


	5. The Results

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When truth came crashing down to Sakurai, it's even worse than his nightmares would be...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sincerely sorry for neglecting my lovable readers from my updates...
> 
> Please accept this chap as my humble compensation...
> 
> Please don't kill me... Pardon my sins... Spare my life...
> 
> *fading to nothing but darkness*

The struggle of engulfing the life out of Imayoshi-senpai was abruptly halted midway as Sakurai stood petrified at the sight of an unexpectedly incensed Aomine Daiki. Suddenly, he got the urge to break the ipromptu embrace and briefly tell the other teen of something akin to: 'It's not what it looks like, Aomine-kun!' or 'Let me explain, you got the wrong idea!'.

 

Even though he didn't owe any kind of decent explanation from the bluenette, he found himself doing so. Even though he and Aomine Daiki didn't share a particular commitment so tightly bounded that meddling on each other's business is not supposed to be an issue, he felt as though he is betraying Aomine.

 

In a split second - Sakurai almost missed it but he didn't - there's a foreign emotion that flashed before Aomine's eyes. It's like... he's accusing Sakurai of doing something so remorseful. As if... he's a traitor. Guilt crept like a vile cursed vine through his heart, enveloping the beating muscle of disdain and self-hatred. 'I didn't do anything wrong', he assured himself for the nth time.

 

How ironic is it... to feel these kinds of heavy resentment despite knowing the fact that the one making him experience this had slept with several women (and men, in Kise's case) single-handedly without hesitation and without giving him any form of reason why. (But as if he would, it's not like they have a relationship besides being fuckbuddies. And same goes to Sakurai too, but why is he feeling this way?)

 

"A-Aomine-kun...!"

 

He rasped. He is almost about to spurt a garbled apology if not for the rational side of him (which have taken a nap for quite awhile given how his illogical decisiveness had brought him in this predicament) realizing that he didn't owe Aomine any.

 

The talented ace decided to play it cool and leaned over the doorway cockily, saying a string of mocking words that did nothing but pierced through every bull's eye.

 

"So it's 'Imayoshi-senpai' now, Ryou? Is this your substitute of me to satisfy your twitchy hole when I'm gone, you slut? How daring..."

 

He drawled, mimicking Sakurai's typical tone and yawning a second after.

 

Sakurai grimaced at the harsh words. He thought, after all those times Aomine discriminated and dirty-talked him while they're doing their stuff on the bed, that even time couldn't make him immune and ignorant from the brutality of being sold cheap of his humanity. All he did because of love.

 

Even Imayoshi's brow furrowed at what Aomine said. He had taken this too far already. Imayoshi had underestimated the sufferings of Sakurai. He didn't thought that the bastardy attitude of Aomine might be taken to a whole new different level. He wonders how Sakurai could survive standing this kind of situation everyday, moreover from dozens and dozens of judgmental people.

 

"Enough, Aomine. Sakurai had been dealing with a lot lately. If you're here to add on the burden he's barely lifting, then I advise you to take your leave for the moment."

 

"Hah? And when did you start intercepting on other's personal life, captain?"

 

"I am merely contradicting your twisted resolve."

 

"Whatever. If you want to bone him then bone him already. I'm about to discard him anytime later anyway. That piece of trash."

 

And with that, Aomine leaded himself outside and closed the door in one quick slam with a bang.

 

"Aomine!"

 

"Aomine-kun!"

 

Few minutes passed when all the pent up stress and tension Sakurai had encountered awhile ago decided to take a toll on his already weakened state. Imayoshi observed his wobbling frame with sight panic.

 

"Sakurai? Sakurai are you--"

The last words of Imayoshi reverberated through his mind as his consciousness faltered into an uncomfortable slumber of oblivion. He felt himself being lifted by a pair of hard but unbelievably reassuring arms. Somehow, he felt safe.

 

...

 

He couldn't believe it. The IV connected to his decstrose trembled along with his nimble hands as he attempted to grasp the crisp medical paper. It obatained the results of the following tests taken when he was still unconscious.

 

The neatly printed words blared infront him like a threatening warning. His throat was contsricted, he cannot form any proper response. His mind was in wreck and his expression was distraught. The newly acquired knowledge of men pregnancy echoed through his head like a livid nightmare. His heart was full of anxiety at the mere thought of his dad receiving the grim news.

 

Positive. He's pregnant. Pregnant of all things. The petite nurse who has been aiding him since the moment he was admitted had politely asked for her leave, closing the door swiftly and quietly.

 

His thoughts wandered back to his current catastrophy.

 

He is carrying a delicate being who needs the utmost and most deliberate care. A child. Something he didn't solely expect to be coming anytime sooner. He wants to rip his hair out and berate himself for succumbing into such tedious predicament, all the while being ignorant to the consequences. Very disastrous consequences. Just thinking of it made his stomach lurch into waves of aggressive flames, consuming him whole.

 

Has the road he is yet to venture had come to the dead end? No. This is not happening. This can't be happening. Those dreams he dreamed with his father, full of hope and possibilities. The future he fought tooth and nail just to ensure such to his son. The innocent creature lying beneath the expanse of his so called 'womb' that may or may not bring the doom of his demise.

 

He didn't know what to do. Hiding at the safety of his bedroom and crying there all night while listening to the soothing voice of his loving father is no longer an option. Not when he couldn't bask to that same mellow sound for awhile now.  
With frantic hands, Sakurai fisted his hair in anguish. Damn it. Why does he have to be this naive. What can't he give to deserve this calamity. What does he have to sacrifice just to live the way he wants to. Why does it have to be him. Damn this.

 

"Sakurai? Are you awake? I'm coming in."

 

The measured voice of Imayoshi passed through his ears vaguely as he continued to busy himself thinking of ways to survive, now together with his own child. He couldn't ask additional allowance from his father so he's down with increasing his hours at the part time job.

 

The crumpled paper that elicited his current exhausted self was left littering at the bottom part of his bed, expose to anyone's prying eyes.

 

"Sakurai? Sakurai, why are you--"

 

Within a sudden, slight concern laced through his captain's words as heavy footsteps hurried forwards to his shivering and shamefully weak frame. He is so mortified to show himself to someone of high reputation and respect as Imayoshi-senpai. The captain is right aftera all, he's no more than a dainty damsel in distress.

 

He's partially aware of the pale hands that shot up at his field of vision. He watched pathetically as Imayoshi schemed through the sheet with eyes gradually widening with each second. He wanted to grab back the paper and restrain the other from earning more information. But he can't, not when Imayoshi-senpai deserved an explaination in behalf of wasting his effort salvaging Sakurai. And so, Sakurai remained settled in his apparent petrified state.

 

"What. The. Hell."

 

The Touo captain blurted out unexpectedly, yet Sakurai misinterpreted his words of surprise as insinuated idioms of discrimination.

 

That's to be expected, after all, he - a man - had been one of the vixens the school's delinquent had collected. One of the people who didn't mind being used and discarded after within an eye's blink. It takes a long time for him to finally realize that, yes, the situation seemed to be worse than what your naive mind is assuring. That, yes, the world is indeed this cruel.

 

Imayoshi-senpai must be disgusted. But that's not something to be surprised of. And now he would be expelled from the club for real. This could be the most apalling moment of his life for the record, besides that time when Aomine ravished the life out of him at one of the old, deserted rooms, (Some of the students passing wondered if the moaning noises came from the romoured ghosts) whilst trying his very best to remain just as silent.

 

"Sumimasen... Sumimasen... Sumimasen... I don't deserve to live... Sumimasen... I'm disgusting... Sumimasen..."

 

Sakurai managed to choked out, in a voice barely audible. Imayoshi's brows furrowed at the frantic murmurs.

 

"Sakurai... If you don't stop this your health would probably worsen--"

 

Sakurai brought his knees even more tightly as he continued harsh whispering words like a mantra. Imayoshi's attempt of calming him (tentatively putting his hands on the brunette's shoulders more like a calculating move of easing a feisty little pup without getting bitten than anything) was proven to be futile as the spasms continued.

 

"Sumimasen... Sumimasen... Sumimasen!"

 

"SAKURAI!"

 

Thankfully, Imayoshi's abrupt outburst had managed to pull Sakurai out of his reverie.

 

"C-captain."

 

"Now is not the time to be overly frantic, are we? Dealing with this matter with that state of yours must not be that advisable. So please don't exhaust yourself, it will do no good. Rest."

 

The captain admonished in a firm and unobjectionable manner. But Sakurai is hesitant to falter.

 

"But Imayoshi-san...! The bills... I might not have the money to afford such cost for now... and my father was due to give me allowance for the next week--"

 

Given that the aforementioned hospital was a private and probably expensive one, he might as well be digging a grave for his dying wallet--

 

"Did I told you to mind the bills, Sakurai?"

 

Sakurai absentmindedly shook his head, eyes wide and darkened.

 

"Then don't. What am I telling you again?"

 

"Rest."

 

Imayoshi chorttled, a very charming laugh by the way but that's out of question, inavertingly patting Sakurai's head gently like an understanding father would to his troubled child.

 

"Then rest you will. You don't have to bother with the bills, okay? My father had been working as one of the head doctors here so... heh... I'm just taking the opportunities granted of having such status..."

 

"H-Hai."

 

It didn't take a second for Sakurai to succumbed back to his slumber... with Aomine and his current situation mashed up in his own obtused mind...

 

...

 

Aomine had barely heard the annoying ringtone (courtesy of nobody, nobody but Momoi herself) as Kise's ecstatic yowl ripped through the large room - his room - they were currently inhabiting. They had just finished meeting the hilt of their euphoria when Aomine had finally noticed that someone had bothered calling him.

 

With Kise panting at the overwhelming yet unregrettable exhaustion at the other side of the bed, Aomine swiftly grasp his smartphone at the bedside table with fluid grace, swiping it open within a second.

 

"Aomine-kun!!!"

 

High pitched sounds reverberated from the other end of the telephone line. Momoi Satsuki. No doubt. And what would this wicked witch want from him? He was at his wits end at all the interjecting she had done for the past years of his fruitful and entirely blissful life. That killjoy.

 

"Haaaaa? What is it now, Satsuki?"

 

He croaked, voice hoarse from the aftermath sensation of their intimate moment. He remained indiferrent as Kise's pair of fair hands enveloped his torso possessively. He's always been like that anyway. Clingy. He totally abhorred cuddles and all of those disgusting cutesy contacts whenever the whole thing (he's referring to sex) is finished.

 

Your bodies in tangled mess drenched with sweat and ejaculated fluid must have felt sooooo gross. But when it comes to Kise, gorgeous and ALMOST, he repeated, almost as talented as him, he guessed he didn't mind. He smells heaven even though he's perspired from head to toe anyway, so yeah... it certainly would not bother him.

 

He ignored the sudden flash of worth reminiscing images of abnormally large, doe eyes staring lovingly back at him with a tinge of rosy hue decorating the pigment of the skin above his nose, cheeks and down to his neck. Those brownish orbs that held the naive hope of something entirely impossible.

 

Fuck that bullshit.

 

"Hi, Momocchi..."

 

Kise unceremoniously leaned on his shoulder and purred through his phone, voice cracking and lazy. His soft blonde locks tickling his nose gently.

 

"K-Ki-chan?! Wait... Eh?! Y-You two?! D-Did it--"

 

Aomine could only just chuckle at the apalling tone Momoi is emitting. True, she already knew it (the fuckbuddy relationship he held with Kise) for quite awhile - given that she's a genius when it came to collecting data, and observing circumstances was fortunately one of her sharp forte - but everytime she was approached of that same fact, she can't help herself from being flustered again and again. Kise joined his mirthful moment not a second after.

 

"Aomine, you ganguro!!! We were all worried here and you... you... uggh!!!"

 

"Hey, hey, I am just kidding. What's the real deal here anyway?"

 

His sultry voice rolled from his tongue like languid water. Kise remained in his current position, subtly peeking through the conversation.

 

Suddenly Momoi became quiet. There's something in her voice implying that something is amiss.

 

"S-Sakurai-kun... H-He... He fainted and everyone is in the rush to visit him from the hospital--"

 

Ah. Just some circumstances out of his concern. Why does that pink demon always trying so hard to make him join in her own circles anyway? If he is any different than the manly man he is now, that witch might have manipulated him to play dress up and face painting long ago.

 

But Aomine's pride never wavered, like something akin to that would actually happen.

 

"Oh? Is that all? Like I care. I'll pass for that..."

 

Is it because the both of them, Sakurai and he, had engaged with their mutual 'commitment' too? Does Momoi expect him to fret over someone he used to fuck with? Fucking hell. He's no more than the toys he played and dismissed nonchalantly, this... this bullcrap was absolutely none of his concern--

 

And without warning, a brief flashback of the happenings moments ago blared through the back of his head like smoldering coal. Sakurai, like the enthusiastic, dreamy pup that he always is, focusing his admiring gaze to someone other than him--

 

"Aomine-kun?! Aomine-kun! Hey, you can't just--"

 

A series of succeeding beeps followed after, cutting the flow of the sound waves in one prompt motion.

 

Aomine kept his resolve intact. Not that he's a little pissed about that petty, ridiculous drama hours before that he decided venting up his frustrations to this beautiful, sexy blonde. That's right, who was that brunette compaired to the one sleeping beside him anyway?

 

Oh. Just the toy he is reluctant to give away. And even though how many times Aomine denied it, the truth will still come to surface like oil in the vague deep coast. Either way he didn't care. Time will come that he could find another interesting toy, besides, Kise wouldn't mind spicing his life to a new level. All in all it's an only-him-that-won situation so yeah... His life is nice...

 

But he's no expert when it came to using his head, so he'll just cross the bridge when he get there.

 

His phone's screen lit up once again, he lazily twirled it through his long nimble fingers (which had the natural talent of appeasing others to nirvana) anticipating that the caller will be Momoi again. His face scrunched in distaste when the screen presented a different name.

 

That asshole. What kind of deranged request is he going to offer him now?

 

Another bullshit to deal with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you are merciful enough, could you please drop kudos and comments? *most beautiful eyes*
> 
> I'm really sorry... muuuuu...


	6. Morning Sickness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sakurai encountered a new pregnancy symptom...
> 
> Aomine's new bullshit to deal with...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay! Here is it! The promised update!
> 
> (I told you I'm going to post two chapters but then... I'm really sorry... Muuuuuu~)
> 
> Please enjoy okay?
> 
> I'll update the next one soon...
> 
> Love ya~

"Sakurai, dear, are you alright? You're blanching, I think you need to rest for awhile--"

 

Sakurai panted in ragged breaths as he stubbornly continued arranging the daffodils, carnations and roses on the bouquet. He futilely hid the slight tremble on his pale fingers as he attempted to tie the flowers into a certain knot.

 

"'m fine oba-chan... I really need to have the overtime pay..."

 

The owner, an aged lady with greying hair, looked helplessly at the quivering frame of the brunette. Sakurai asked and begged the kind woman almost in his knees to extend his work hours in order to provide enough for his adding needs.

 

After being released from the hospital by noon the next day, Sakurai headed straight home. He gave a telepathic extension of gratitude (Imayoshi-senpai is a psychic anyway, he could probably receive it anytime) to his senpai for being way too considerate of his condition that he bothered stopping the team from visiting that day to spare Sakurai from even more stress.

 

The basketball club have day offs during weekends. Maybe he could still handle two more shifts today. The additional salary is an essential plus to his savings and besides, he's not that bleary yet. Tommorrow, - Sunday - he might also request a petition to the bookstore to increase the hours of his part time job. In that way, he could salvage more lucre.

 

He briefly recalled what the doctor adjured him when he was walking on his way down the last block before his destination:

 

Minimize tedious activities.

 

Get enough sleep as much as possible.

 

Eat fruits and vegetables.

 

Etcetera. Etcetera.

 

But if he's going to lay on his bed all day everyday, his stored money will surely run out, rendering him and his baby - he took time making himself realize again and again that he's not surviving alone anymore - starved for the rest of the remaining days.

 

That's why he's going to earn as much cash as possible while he's still capable of doing so. His father had a lot of things to contend with, he can't afford managing another problem elicited by Sakurai again. He is alone now. He can't cause any troubles to his father anymore.

 

He needed to stop by the grocery store too. Instead of buying his excess money for maybe a new book, perhaps he might add it to the allowance he reserved for food, especially since his budget's gonna skyrocket because of his sudden pregnancy.

 

After all, he's still a man despite his pregnancy status. He's not that weak and sensitive. His stronger lean physique could still hold him enough to work overnights and study during weekdays. As long as his belly is not that big to be suspicious enough to the public's eye, he could persist doing what he typically did.

 

And as time would pass by, when he couldn't endure the fatigue and inflicted pressure anymore, he can pass his resignation to the team's captain, drop out of school for a while and go back to his father to finally tell the truth.

 

He would start anew together with his son and rebuild the dreams that he have once taken for granted. He will transfer to a different school, conviniently near by their house and enroll definitely at the next school year. He'll study twice as hard and strive to avail a scholarship.

 

Maybe he could forget basketball for awhile.

 

And when he could have the chance to meet Momoi and the rest of the team with his head held high once again, maybe he could play with them at the nearby streetball court. Then after that, Sakurai could invite them to hang out to his house for awhile. They would start rekindling reminiscent memories and strengthening their bond. Sakurai would introduce them to his son and they would start whistling and cooing and teasing.

 

Maybe... maybe he could talk to Aomine again and they could be friends.

 

His train of thought was rudely disturbed when suddenly his stomach lurched ghastly, his sudden grimace was poorly hidden from the old lady. Even without words, he knew that the grandma is clearly fretting over his ill condition. Without any much thought, he automatically blurted out an assurance.

 

"I'm... I'm fine, ba-chan! Really... Su-sumimase--"

 

He didn't get to finish his apology when he felt the collected bile rising from his throat. He dashed through the rear portion of the flower shop until he reached the restroom, in hefty movement, spilling his guts at the cubicle.

 

Sakurai's head was spinning, his vision was hazy and his pharynx ablaze. He continued vomiting his breakfast for almost a minute now, and the shop owner could do nothing but rub the boy's back until he was finished.

 

...

 

The mansion was modernised and highly-styled with all those latest fashion trends experts designed for architecture wise houses. The internal design was big hit too, opulent things here and there.

 

But it's still cold.

 

It always was everytime Aomine visited. It is way too hollow and empty for two inhabitants despite the occasional maids and buttlers busying themselves. Besides, Aomine didn't get to go here very often. He had his own smaller house for himself.

 

A dark-skinned, good-looking (Daiki is more handsome than him by the way) man glared Aomine down with seething eyes, clearly enraged.

 

"Daiki."

 

Aomine smiled lazily at his father, silently noticing that the man had a haircut, the ebony fringes shorter than before.

 

"Hi dad. It's been very nice to fucking finally see you--"

 

His name is Aomine Dashiko. The younger Aomine would not deny if you conclude that his impeccable ability to charm ladies until they were pissing their panties was inherited from this man.

 

"We're. Going. To. Talk."

 

Aomine wants to laugh. Talk. When did they have any sensical conversation, anyway? For Pete's sake, he almost forgot that he has a father.

 

"Oh. And what do you think we're doing? Swimming? Pole dancing?"

 

The older man's brow could just furrow at the misconduct of his son.

 

"You insolent brat. I am still your father, you have no right to disrespect me--"

 

"Father? Come on, old hag. I barely see you. We barely even talk. What makes you think that we are still a family, 'Otou-san'?"

 

"We were going to have a dinner together, I will have an announcement. You will join us no matter what."

 

Announcement? The times when Aomine was necessarily invited into the regale of his father with the man himself (which was like... once in a red moon. Wait... blue moon? green moon? Aomine's mind was not build for this. Whatever) is when he was intending to ask his son a favor of attending the ribbon cutting event of his latest business branch, confirming his presence during business affairs to be recognized as the next potential heir of the company etc. etc.

 

"Us? Heh. What do you mean?"

 

Aomine recollected what the senior had mentioned awhile ago. Us? He's bringing someone else in the household? He scan the visage of his father again to verify his suspicion. He spotted a simple looking ring (Aomine is still pretty sure that it's cost is damn hell extravagant) wore at the man's right ring finger.

 

He was about to ask who when his father answered the anticipated question himself.

 

"Me and the man I've introduced you."

 

He snorted in utter disbelief. What the fucking--

 

"That fag?! What the fuck. Don't tell me he's your substandard substitute of my mother?!"

 

He knew. He knew that there's someone behind the curtains of his family's divorce. But to think of an another man who ably sneak his way towards his father? He must be an extraordinaire. Manipulating Dashiko like that to choose him other than his mother? Curse to the chicken balls and their eggs. He deserves an oscar, goddamnit.

 

"Stop demeaning him! He's not doing anything besides loving me. He's a kind person. Your mother and I never have feelings with each other to begin with. We are bonded by arranged marriage."

 

"Liar! What do you expect from your gay mistress anyway? Of course he's going to be all goody-goody at first. I could guarantee you that his horns would surely come to surface five to six months prior from now. Who knows you could be housing a snake in the mansion, probably just chasing your dick and your money--"

 

"If you'll going to talk in that iliterate manner of yours, then you better shut up."

 

"I'm not going--"

 

"Yes you will. Or I'll cut off your allowance."

 

"Bullshit!"

 

...

 

The flower shop owner had convinced a hesitant Sakurai to finally go home. He intentionally made a stop at the convinience store to buy something for his dinner tonight, maybe instant ramen or ready-made meatballs.

 

"Sakurai-kun!!!"

 

The brunette's head almost got whipped when he abruptly turned around to the source of the voice. Momoi. And when there is Momoi, there will surely be Aomine. They were like buy one take one. With adrenaline gyrating in his nerves, he frantically searched for the tanned companion who always hang around (getting dragged) with the pinkette. He sighed in immediate relief when he found none.

 

"Momoi-san! What are you doing here?"

 

"Uhmmm... ano... I am planning to buy some snacks since I'm going to stay late at night for watching and studying our new opponent's statistical data."

 

"Ah. I see."

 

"Oh. So how are you, Sakurai-kun? Imayoshi-kun told us to not visit anymore because we might strain you instead. Are you okay now? What had actually happened?"

 

"Fatigue? I guess. Imayoshi-senpai went to my apartment to extend a personal apology. Thankfully, he's coincidentally there when I am about to break down."

 

Sakurai replied, carefully selecting his words to avoid the sharp perceptieveness of Momoi to detect the truth he is desperately hiding. He sent another telepathic word of appreciation to his megane senpai for giving Sakurai the assurance of keeping his secret... for now. Knowing Imayoshi, way sneakier and manipulative than what you thought, he might unveil the facticity indirectly to someone. And when that someone is as highly discerning as Momoi, his scandal might be exposed to everyone in no time.

 

"S-Sakurai-kun... ano... about last time.. th-the team--"

 

The pinkette fiddled the hem of her coat to justify her growing anxiety and uneasiness, her face guilty.

 

"Ah. Sumimasen, Momoi-san. You don't have to mind it. It's fine... really. In fact, I believe that I am the one at fault here, ano... for my misbehavior..."

 

What he did last time is still impertinent. Yelling a sudden outburst infront of his team is still a form of discourtesy, he needs to give them an apology too no matter what. Momoi smiled tenderly as Sakurai bow in embarassment.

 

"Ne, how about I treat you to Maji instead? I observed you developed a liking to their burgers so maybe we could hang out-- I-I mean not 'hang out' like a date or something."

 

Sakurai chorttled at the furious blush on Momoi's face. The tinge of pink at her cheeks is almost on par with the hue of her hair.

 

"Of course not, Momoi-san."

 

Sakurai matched the slower pace of Momoi as they begin walking towards the aforementioned eating establishment. Momoi filled the air with idle chats and mindless talks whilst Sakurai listened and answered politely.

 

...

 

Momoi laugh pleasantly as she watched how Sakurai devoured the mountain of burgers like a starved beast, stuffing his mouth continuously wuth no signs of ceasing. His cheeks were all puffy as he chewed the food with much vigor. Like a squirrel.

 

"Sakurai-kun! What had happened to you? I was beginning to thunk that Kagamin and Dai-chan's eating habits had influenced yours too-- S-Sakurai-kun?!"

 

Sakurai choked up once the name of Aomine was cited. He hurriedly grasped his soda and chugged down the half of it. Momoi looked at him worriedly, fuchsia eyes filled with concern.

 

"I guess things between you two is not yet settled."

 

She gave a sigh of despair, exasperated by her childhood friend's antics. She'll going to chastise him later, she reminded herself. That toasted aho didn't know how many people were deeply affected by his behavior.

 

"I think things between the both of us never will, Momoi-san. And I much preferred it to be that way."

 

The nuthead muttered with resignation, getting ahold of another burger to consume. Momoi watched him carefully, subtly noting the peculiar details in his physique. Sakurai looks different like usual, his eyes reflects a deep mysterious anxiety. Momoi wants to find out what had been buggling Sakurai recently, but decided not to pry further.

 

"You look dull Sakurai-kun. Please take care of your body okay? Something in you seems actually wrong."

 

Sakurai stopped midway in his chewing, feeling sick. Had she already noticed? He swallowed and tried to explain his situation immediately.

 

"A-Ah. Maybe because I am not yet fully recovered. The doctor told me to eat lots of fruits and vegetable to ensure my health again."

 

"Is that so? Then you should obey him, Sakurai-kun! You actually look pallid and thin these days. Make sure you get enough sleep too, okay?"

 

Momoi repremanded, looking very much akin into a mom that never stop reminding and scolding her son of whatnots. It's nice to know that someone cares for his well-being besides him.

 

"Yes, I will, Momoi-san."

 

"Oh. I think I should get going now. I need to save Dai-chan's ass again-- Don't fret so much okay? I'll make sure he didn't bother you..."

 

"Goodbye, Momoi-san. Sumimasen. Take care, I guess I should finish the food first before going so yeah... maybe I'll stay for while..."

 

"Bye, bye! Sakurai-kun!"

 

Momoi waved at him at the glass window of MajiBa. Sakurai wave back, feeling lighter than before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own KnB. Sad to say...
> 
> Sooooo... how was it?


	7. Misinterpretation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aomine's myriad of clashing feelings...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hihi. As you see minna-san I'm still aaaaalllliiiiiiveeeee~~~
> 
>  
> 
> Please enjoy this chapter!

"Achoo!"

 

Sakurai sneezed for the damn to the power of nth time after he arrived at his small-spaced apartment, shivering from the sudden temperature drop. And oh my, he still needs to go to the library, the facilitator had assigned him new tasks expected to be done as early as possible. He can't take any sick leave now.

 

He clambered through his cupboards at the kitchen to find some hot water and instant coffee with his quivering fingers. After so, he made one swiftly and headed towards the living room to watch a show or something.

 

After he finished eating the burgers Momoi had bought for him, he bought another batch of the same meal before going back home.

 

Sakurai cupped his palms at the sides of his hot cup to warm his hands. Finding it futile to repress the cold circulating in his body, he decided to fix a blanket for himself instead. Upon returning, he arrived with his phone ringing. The shooting guard picked up the call at once.

 

"Sakurai-kuuuuuun!"

 

The high-decibelled sound echoed through the earpiece, effectively putting his eardrums at risk.

 

"Ah. Momoi-san. What do you need?"

 

The brunette ask curiously, stucking his nose up to bask at the warm steaming smoke emitted by his hot beverage.

 

"The temperature had abruptly pressed down recently. I am a little worried, are you alright?"

 

Although the voice at the other line was squeaky and chipmunk-like, Sakurai managed to discerned it the same way it was meant to be. Sakurai heave a sigh, denoting the sticky mucus clotting a camp base inside his poor nose, answering the question as eloquent as possible.

 

"Ano... uhm... Yes I am, Momoi-- Achoo!"

 

Not that any kind of persuasive speech could actually brush Momoi off that easily.

 

"Just what I thought so! Be sure to provide yourself enough warmth for your body. And don't forget to drink lots of lukewarm water, okay? Also, I would advice you to secure yourself a cup of hot coffee or chocolate... Got it?"

 

There she goes again, Sakurai smiled fondly, like the nagging mother that she always was. She was always looking for the basketball team like she was the mom of their irregular family. Sakurai wipe a stray snot threatening to drop from his nose like a goblet of rain.

 

"I already did it-- Achoo! It's just slight fever Momoi-san! You don't have to-- A-Achoo! Achoo! Sumimasen! Sumimasen! Sumimase-- Achoo!"

 

The panick shuffling didn't sound good on the nuthead's perspective.

 

"That's it Sakurai-kun! I can't afford sitting here whilst knowing the fact that you are suffering and ill in your own house, alone. Especially since I'm pretty sure you can't take care of yourself that well."

 

"Eeehhh Momoi-san! It's fine! I-I'm fa... fine! Ha... Ha..."

 

"Uhuh? Is that so?"

 

Came a suspicious reply.

 

"Mm! Yes! Sumimasen! Oh. I think I need to attend something. I'll call you later, goodbye!"

 

"Oh... Okay..."

 

And before Momoi could utter another word, Sakurai hung up. It was after a few minutes when--

 

"Achoo!"

 

...

 

"Dai-chan."

 

Aomine was comfortably sprawled topless on his beige-colored sofa when the dilemma of his life present itself in a pink witch with her hands clipped firmly on her hips. He yawned and scratched his abdomen before giving a dismissive answer.

 

"Uhuh?"

 

The Touo manager just fumed further. This made Aomine annoyed because what the hell, she's the one who trespassed his ever so peaceful abode in her majestic boobies and a batch of chastising words in her mind's very wide armory of information.

 

"Don't 'uhuh' me you aho! Exams are almost near and you still didn't get to study even one word from your notes!"

 

Momoi clambered around the room to find his bag and prove her point. Her feet pounded the tiled floor with a force possess by someone nonhuman. Upon spotting the object in question, Momoi - like the high class private investigator of Aomine like she always was - released a gasp as she found out another dilemma worth mourning for.

 

"Oh my god. You...! You-- You don't copy your notes?!"

 

Just. Great.

 

"Problem with that?" The tanned teen groaned, sticking his pinky finger inside his ear. He could already feel the steaming smoke emitted from the fuming pinkette.

 

Unlike any other girls (and boys) who fell head over heels with his charming abilities, when it comes to his childhood friend, unfortunately, it elicited just the opposite reaction. Despite Momoi's cutesy, girlish personality, the girl could turn into some monstrous godzilla with only the scent of yours truly, Aomine and his gorgeous existence.

 

He could only blink when he noticed the plastic bags dumped infront of him. "What the hell, Satsuki?"

 

With hands on her hips, she firmly explained. "I'm going to meet with your father, today. He's summoning me because you've been acting more idiotic than what you usually are. I promised uncle to look after you. So if you could just behave and deliver this to Sakurai, we won't have any problems."

 

"Excuse me? Why the fuck would I have to deliver this when you could do it yourself--"

 

"Because I'm going to be busy fixing the troubles you made again. And also because Sakurai looks very sick today - not to mention I'm slightly troubled with the cslight changes on his body - and obviously, he needs my assistance."

 

"And who told you to take care of me like I'm a fuckin' toddler--"

 

"One more word of complaint and I'll never save your ass EVER AGAIN."

 

"Tsk. Fine! Whatever!" And Aomine questioned his life, why oh why.

 

...

 

Sakurai's eyes almost bulged out from his sockets once he saw the person standing on his threshold.

 

"Ao-Aomine... kun...?"

 

Aomine just rolled at his eyes at the exaggerated reaction and proceeded sauntering the insides of the apartment, deliberately dismissing the other's presence.

 

"Yeah. Yeah. If you want to know if you're dreaming, we'll you're not." He puts the plastic bags he's carrying carelessly at the small kitchen table and continues. "Satsuki was worried for a 17 year old, capable human like you to starve. Here's the diet meal she bought for you."

 

"Arigatou gosaimasu."

 

Aomine cared to brace him a single glance before grunting. "Hn."

 

The both of them fell into an akward silence, Sakurai still clueless of how to deal with his (ex)fuckbuddy. With great hesitance, he attempted to start a conversation. "Ano... I could make you some tea... or maybe--"

 

Sakurai squeaked as Aomine's head abruptly whipped towards his direction. The emotions in his eyes were dark and stormy.

 

"Aren't you aware of my distaste at teas, Ryou?" He snickered, half smirking. With his arms tucked in his chest, he further said, "Or have you forgotten it already when you started a new lovelife with our captain?"

 

The other teen's eyes snapped wide open, his expression that of bewildered and incredulous. "I--! Ah... That's not! You...! You might have misunderstood...!". Sakurai's word-incoherency started resurfacing again as he justified himself a little too defensively. A concepted act misinterpreted by the ace.

 

"Nah. No need to deny it. Not like I care anyway." Aomine said coolly, unable to look at Sakurai out of the sudden. His gaze was etched far away on the window.

 

"Sumimase-- Achoo! Ha-- Achoo!"

 

"Tsk. Idiot. You're sick? Just because of a petty cold weather you're having a fever? Just how weak you are?"

 

The brunette wiped his nose vigorously as Aomine berated him with furrowed brows. The Touo's ace is oblivious that the peculiar pregnancy of Sakurai was one of the factors why he's more prone now from exposed diseases. Moreover, he's also unaware that the child the nuthead was carrying was his, himself.

 

"Anyway, I don't think I have to waste any time here anymore. I'm leaving." The tanned teen started walking towards the door, with a half wave to regard his leave to Sakurai. And Sakurai being the idiot that he was, - always yearning for that specific type of attention only Aomine can give - surge forward to hook his bony fingers on the other's wrist.

 

And for the first time, amidst all of his trials to prevent Aomine from walking out of the door (and walking out of his life again with no hints of when to come back), this time, he succeeded. The bluenette paused reluctantly, pondering if he should just shake those thin hands off his wrist and proceed walking out instead.

 

"A-Ano... the semestral exam is nearing... H-have you studied al...ready?" Sakurai voice wavered, realizing that this must be a poor excuse and he looked desperate and utterly pathetic.

 

And hey, it's the first time he saw Aomine once again for the past few days and although he planned on moving over him someday, that someday is surely not today. Not when he's dying to embrace the guy he'd irrevocably fallen for this very moment.

 

"Not yet. Well I don't plan on doing anything like that anyway. I'll just pester Midorima to lent me his lucky pencil or somethin'. Why? You worry that much for me?"

 

"N-No! I-I just want to say that... that I have some notes here. If ever you want to copy for your advantage, that is..."

 

He emitted a sudden yelp once Aomine is already towering over him within just a second. The ace stared at him directly, unfalteringly. Aomine's eyes trace from the teary doe-like eyes of the brunette, to the reddish, runny nose which resembled the color of tomato, to the puffy cheeks decorated with rosy hue that made the whole sight before him disgustingly but nevertheless cute--

 

"Ha? Is that what you really wanted?" With the husky voice that had developed with the rest of his handsome aspects (put aside his brain), he saucily murmured, making the receptor shiver expectedly.

 

He wanted to leave, really. But he hadn't have sex with his little puppy for awhile. Further more, the leap of pride added to his humungous amount of ego (enough to buy the whole of Japan when converted to money) is too much for him to take. Sakurai still chased him like the damn small, inquisitive pup that he was and oh shit, he missed his flexibility and that hot, tight hole.

 

Strong arms shot up to envelop Sakurai's waist, the perfect way he dreamed this event in his sleep over and over again. And although he might be martyr and madly inlove with the other, he's not that naive. At least not anymore. He's living for the two of them now, and although the desire of him to do the 'it' thing with Aomine, he's smart enough that the little child inside of him weighs heavier than anything.

 

With weak resolve, he pushed the other teen away. The doctor sternly told him to never engange himself with rigorous activities anymore. Besides, he might hurt his baby so, as much as an adventurer that he is, he'll not take any risk to endanger the life of the child he'd grown to love as days passed by. Clearly, Aomine didn't take the situation that way.

 

"Ah. I get it. You've already got Imayoshi aren't ya?" The brunette missed the crack in Aomine's mirthless laugh that followed after. "I guess you've already replaced me, right?" The tone of the other's voice made Sakurai unexplicably guilty. There's something lonely and sad hidden beneath the casual intonation.

 

He scrambled around frantically, hopelessly trying to regain his sense of logic. "S-Sumimasen... Aomine-kun...! I'm really not feeling well... My... My head is spinning and my body feels heavier than usual--"

 

"Why are you so unfair? You already subbed someone else to me and I haven't found another one to sub you yet." Sakurai was rendered mute at the prompt outburst. Aomine's hushed complain made him look like an incredulous child stubbornly persisting that his parent's reason of going abroad is still unjustifiable.

 

'But he's the irrational one here.' A small voice at the back of the brunette's mind tantrumed. 'How dare he say that crap. Don't falter, you embecilic creature. He's just manipulating you to follow his personal wishes.' The voice urged further, louder and louder as seconds ticked. 'After that, he'll just forget you right away. No more, no less. Like usual.'

 

And wait. Did he just say replacement? What the--

 

"I don't know what Aomine-kun was talking about. I--"

 

"Oh? Don't you think I wouldn't notice what's going on between you and that asshole Imayoshi? He's fuckin' tight when we're talking about matters that concern you." The cockiness in his voice had resurfaced once again and law and behold, he's back to his typical self with no trace from the personality he portrayed right before.

 

"Th-That's not true! I... Your-- Your assumption of me and Imayoshi-senpai holding some kind of affair is a complete falacy!" Sakurai squeaked immediately, his cheeks puffed and his lips formed into an indignant pout. "I... I-- Didn't have any relationship with anyone because..." His large eyes focused on the floor, his face coloring with red hue. "Because... Because I only want Aomine-kun..."

 

The smirk threatening to escape from Aomine was unceremoniously projected. The tanned teen felt triumphant and proud (he always was, but this is a special case) out of the sudden.

 

His arms started caging the brunette again. His breath ghosted throughout the expanse lf Sakurai's neck and he whispered just at the slope of the brunette's nape. "Then you won't mind me doing stuff I did to you before?"

 

"B-But... Aomine-kun! Hadn't you heard what I said awhile ago?! I-I'm kind of sick and the germs! The germs might--"

 

Aomine could just chuckle. "Relaaaaaax~ I'll do you slowly so you won't be that exhausted." Sakurai couldn't manage to breathe, not when their nose were bumped with each other and their lips were a hair apart (and bird's shit, that mouthwash is intoxicating). Not when Aomine is holding him perfectly and he won't change it for anything other than this. Not when the moment is too precious and romantic and so, so adorable that even his mere inhaling of air could destroy it. And he'll be damned if ever this would end--

 

"You're so cute, you little shit."

 

"Hai! Sumimasen!"

 

"You must feel like the luckiest person on Earth because I didn't tolerate people often."

 

"H-Hai! Achoo! I will! Sumima--"

 

They kissed. And Sakurai wouldn't have it any other way. He blindedly led himself to another dream that may end sooner or later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own KnB...


	8. The Boy in Denial

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything is not what it seems...
> 
> Sakurai's struggles...
> 
> And Kasamatsu's part of the story...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good day minna!
> 
> First of all, I would like to thank all of those who inspired me to write this chapter!
> 
> I'm sorry for updating just now, okay? I've been very busy and I refused to write something that will make my lovely readers disappointed... Muuuu~~~
> 
> But anyway, here is it!!! ENJOY!!!

Streams of sunlight gleamed accross the windowpanes of Sakurai's apartment, brimming the bedroom with yellow tint. Sakurai found himself in his bed naked and alone... yet again. He's not supposed to be surprised about this anymore, but beyond that, he's still hurt. Aomine's gone. He entered Sakurai's life in rainbows and bliss then leave without prior notice, sucking the life out and leaving the brunette in hollowed emptiness.

 

Over and over again.

 

He's not dumb. He's intellect wasn't that high, but it's still high enough to decipher the ending of this hopeless commitment. But why? Why was he still trying to work things out? Why?

 

Dizziness embraced his system suddenly and have him running to the restroom. He's trembling, and the aches resulted from the intercourse last night only intensified. Aomine did 'do' him slowly alright, anyone at the receptive side must have felt triumphant and throughly pleased at that once-in-a-blue-moon experience.

 

"Shit."

 

He cussed as his headache only pained him further. He shouldn't permit Aomine to have his way over him that easily. It's... unfair. It took him days, weeks even, to convince the other to spend time with him. Eventhough they mostly spent quality time fucking at the small space of his restroom, at his couch, kitchen table, coffee table, etc., Sakurai treasured it, every moment, every second, every bit of it.

 

It's very unfair... Of all the hardships and dilemmas he suffered forgetting all those bittersweet memories. Of nights he went through crying his eyes out for the fear of having this pathetic affair ended tommorrow or the day after. Of unfathomed things he'll inevitably sacrifice on his way to this very difficult journey. Of all those bullshits forgotten immediately with just the appearance of Aomine in his doorstep, coaxing him to succumb to this forbidden relationship.

 

Again... And again... And again...

 

Sakurai braced the cubicle as he desperately held himself together, wrecked beyond measure. Tears rolled in his eyes like a chore to suffice his anxiety. His vomiting didn't cease.

 

"Shit!"

 

He's not supposed to be like this. But why...

 

...

 

Aomine stride lazily under the satisfying heat of the morning sun, away from a certain nuthead's apartment. A pang of guilt pierced his chest while thinking of the state he leave the brunette with, although a faint smile ghosted his face while remembering the creases on the other's brows when he softly deslodged himself from the mess of tangled limbs and sweaty bodies.

 

He regretted - for a second, just a SECOND, no more no less - when he couldn't be there anymore to lean at the kitchen counter and watch as Sakurai wandered frantically around to fetch him a warm cup of coffee, all the while walking lamely. He'll be clad with only Aomine's clothes because the tanned teen made him so dumb last night enough that he couldn't locate his own clothes. Oh how he wished they could execute the same routine everyday--

 

Shit. Of course they can't.

 

Ha! Who is he to conquer Aomine's mind anyway? Who is he compare to the great Aomine Daiki, former ace of the Generation of Miracles and the current one of the powerhouse Touo anyway? No one. Just some mediocre shooting guard who managed to slip through the qualifying players and was 'luckily' appointed to be one of the starting five.

 

It's not his lost, Aomine kept telling himself. He got tons of flings way better in bed than him. He even got that cassanova Kise, who is much better, much hotter, and much enticing than that mushroom. He'll never be like his father who've fallen inlove with a fag and have chosen him instead of his own family. Instead of Aomine, his own son, who was in dire need for understanding and love in that particular situation.

 

And yet, annoyingly so, the irritating voice pestering the shit out of him inside his head only mutters mockingly: 'You're just scared. Eversince you realized that he may be more than just a toy, you started being cautious and defensive out of the sudden. You're just some coward. You're afraid of being attached to someone deeper than what is necessary because... oh no... you're falling inlove...'

 

"SHUT UP!"

 

What. The. Effin. Hell. Inlove? With him?! Impossible. He will never trek the same footsteps as his father did. He could play anyone's hearts and he could jump from screwing one fling to another within a beat, but not this. Especially not THIS. His whole being had already been broken, his heart is the only thing 'alive' in here, aalthough barely.

 

A coward? No. He's just securing himself away from another batch of sorrow.

 

The ace fumbled through his pants' pocket to fish his phone, determined to end whatever shit is infesting his brain with his own personally customed solution. He dialled a number. And it was answered shortly.

 

"Aominecchi~ I can't screw with you noooooow~" A whine from the other line was heard, but Aomine is not patient right now.

 

"Kise--" Aomine started but he was cut off by that annoying, fake buoyant tone the blonde from the other line is sporting.

 

"Kasamatsu-senpai and I were going out on a daaaaaaaaate~ As much as I like it, we can't do it right now. I've been conjuring excuses infront of him in a long while and he's growing suspicious. Oh-- I gonna hang up, he's coming--"

 

Ah fuck. He got no time for this. He needs to be relieved and he wants Kise right now. He wants to screw him so hard tonight enough that the mere pleasure of it will drive Aomine on edge and trigger him to forget these senseless thoughts and go back to Earth once again. Eventhough he has many alternatives in mind, he knew that Kise was the best one capable of cooling him off everytime he was pissed or pressured. Well, except for some certain shooting guard--

 

"How about we fuck at my house? Not the apartment, dumbass. Y'know, the mansion thing on the picture frame you're dying to visit?"

 

"E-Eh?! R-Really?" Aomine, aside from being the blonde's fuckbuddy, had known Kise for almost years now. The Kaijou's ace is a deceptor, he lure everyone with his happy, pretty boy demeanor. But the Generation of Miracles knew otherwise, including Aomine. That's why he could assume that his ex-teammate was genuinely surprised by his unusual offer.

 

"And oh. Not just that. I'm going to give you the best mind blowing sex you've ever experienced." He further added, throwing another set of hot coal in the furiously boiling hot water. The line went unresponded for a long while with only the sound of the alive and cheery festival.

 

"Okay... Gimme a second. I'll be there, Aominecchi." Hearing the way the other's ditzy and overly cheery tone dropped into a husky whisper could guarantee Aomine that his bribing attempts were properly done in triumph. He can't wait to bang another ass again.

 

'Oh... You're falling inlove...' Out of blue, the voice in his head returned, whispering a quiet, striking statement. A sentence YET to be proven.

 

"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!"

 

...

 

After vomiting almost everything he'd eaten, it's almost noon when Sakurai's suffering abated. With only a bowl of stewed beef and vegetable soup, paired with a hot cup of milk to fill his turbulent stomach for the rest of the day, he proceeded sleeping his headache away.

 

It's already six o'clock in the evening when Sakurai was awoken for the second time. Seeing that he can't longer cook food due to the lack of time, he compensated buying take out instead. The heartbreak might have shattered him wholy, but Sakurai is bearing a child. A child he loved. He'll never starve himself in favor of dealing with this situation dramatically and thus, worsening the health of his child. Besides, he is not that dizzy anymore, he could walk straight already.

 

On his way, he noticed the booming sound of the neighboring town's festival, with the jovial and blithe atmosphere embracing everything around it. As he wandered on the street covered in proper, thick clothing to supress the cold of the chilly night (again, for the safety of his child), he could almost feel the happiness radiated from almost every people.

 

It didn't take long before his feet arrived in front of the nearby department store. The establishment seemed to be celebrating the same event too, for its standard stalls were decorated with various colorful origamis and fiesta flags.

 

He could even see a raven looking very much as someone who took part at the wonderful occassion. His back was facing Sakurai, he is holding this giant pink balloon at his right hand and a goldfish trapped in a water-filled plastic container at the other. He's standing infront of a vending machine, silently contemplating what canned drink to buy. Yet as Sakurai approached, he could notice the other insignificant features of the persona.

 

Like how his shoulders were drooped weakly, how the large cloak enveloping his body made him look smaller and almost vulnerable, and... how his overall facade looked elegiac, contrasting the bliss and joy of the otherwise happy celebration. It took him a minute to realize that the person he's observing was...

 

"K-Kasamatsu-san?"

 

The Kaijou's pointguard spared him a glance before smiling faintly. Sakurai noticed the strange pallid hue coloring the other's skin. Kasamatsu's lips were chapped and his eyes appeared to be dull. His cheekbones were sharper than usual. There were dark bags in his eyes. It's uncharacteristic for the stern and athletic Kaijou captain to look so... pale. Sakurai refused to pry, maybe he had some fever or maybe it's just the light.

 

"Sakurai-san, right? The shooting guard of Touo?" A fog of air escaped Kasamatsu's lips as he breathes a short greeting. His voice was hoarse and quiet.

 

"Ha-Hai... errmmm... h-how are you?" As a polite gesture, Sakurai replies back.

 

"I'm fine. How about we get some dinner and have some talk?"

 

...

 

"Ah! Ah! Aominecchi! Y-Your house looks too cool-- Ah! Ng~" Kise managed to choke out in between ragged breaths and desperate gulps of air. He's holding the headboard of the fabulous, kingsized bed with soft, silken, obsidian covering in a vice grip. Aomine was at his back, mercilessly shooting him without a care.

 

The ecstacy of the moment was beyond satisfactory but Aomine found himself in discontent with no apparent reason. Kise didn't have enough time to gawk at the high-styled house of the Tuou's ace before he was instantly dragged inside a very large, cool-looking room and was shoved on the wall to be fucked. Hard and senseless.

 

"Shut up, will you? I'm having trouble with my climax here." The tanned teen panted. Clamping his hands on the other's hips, enough to leave delectable bruises that he'll appreciate later. No one in the school premises had yet to enter his house. Well, usually he would invite them in his apartment, but nobody had still seen his family household. And Kise seemed to be way more happy to be the one breaking the reecord.

 

"I-It's evening already, Kasamatsu-senpai is expecting me to be back at ah! Ah! Ah! Harder!"

 

Aomine gave a brief glance at his digital clock, 6:00 pm, before continuing his ministrations.

 

He's doing absolutely fine alright. He's not doing some kind of petty rebound thing because there's no one he's going to replace with anyway. Kise's hot. Kise's more deserving and more beautiful there's no way--

 

FLASHBACK

 

That night, Aomine didn't know why... He's usually not this considerate when it comes to pathetic people but...

 

"Aomine-kun, Ah- Thank you..."

 

The person addressed was having his time memorizing the writhing form of Sakurai Ryou: His fair skin about to be tainted, his messy hair, the hickeys in his neck, his doe eyes were blown wide and glinting with affection, his lips pursed whenever Aomine hit the jackpot spot.

 

"Baka... For what?" Aomine chuckled. Seriously, the little shit is being overly dramatic.

 

"For compromising for me..."

 

"Who says I'm compromising..." Aomine scoffed, gently turning Sakurai around to fuck him from behind for deeper access. And he thrust inside. Slow, tender, and thorough. Don't ask him, he didn't know why he's doing this either.

 

"Ngg~ Just... Thank you... And... and... I love you..."

 

END FLASHBACK

 

"Ao- Ah! Ah! Aomine... Ng~ Aominecchi?"

 

Utter shit... Bullcrap...

 

...

 

Kasamatsu and Sakurai sat at a random bench in the nearby park, the lights litting up their vision in soft, honeyed view. They agreed to buy ready-to-eat bento and while they were uncovering their plastic utensils, Kasmatsu opened the conversation.

 

"I think it's quite rude passing by an acquaintance without saying a word. I'm sorry for bothering you." The raven said, opening his bento - rice balls, grilled beef and mashed potatoes -, and picking a piece of cooked meat.

 

"Eh?! N-No! It's fine really, besides, I'm eating alone anyway." Sakurai immediately answered as he opened his own - rice balls, beacon, sausage, and vegetables (again, for the health of his child).

 

"The perks of living alone." Kasamatsu playfully snickered, digging a spoon of mashed potatoes.

 

"By the way, Kasamatsu-san, have you came from the festival?"

 

There's something peculiar that had been bugging him for awhile now. He refused to voice his question outright, though he asked anyway.

 

"Uhuh?"

 

People were supposed to be happy, especially with the air of the bright festival... but... why? Why did Kasamatsu-san looked sad moments ago? 

 

"So... How was it?" He reluctantly asked further.

 

"I came with Kise originally, yeah... But he kind of excused himself shortly and went out without going back. We planned on going for dinner together but..." The raven trailed and suddenly, his eyes were dimmed the same way it has when Sakurai had first found him idling inside the department store.

 

"B-But... Why?"

 

Sakurai is itching to know why eventhough he could already conclude an answer. Kasamatsu hail a deep sigh before he continued, as if he's preparing himself to proclaim an Earth-shattering announcement.

 

"A-Ano... S-Sumimase--"

 

"I... Know what's happening..." Kasamatsu croaked, at last. And Sakurai was taken aback by how he stated he stated his knowledge without hesitance. The way he confirmed his awareness of both their aces' affair was just as casual as breathing air. The raven chuckled mirthlessly before proceeding.

 

"I know you know what kind of person your ace is."

 

Sakurai supressed the urge to say that he, himself was one of Aomine's victims. Kasamatsu's eyes drifted to something far away and distant.

 

"I'm not that dumb not to notice about it... but--" Kasamatsu didn't get to finish when he broke into series of harsh coughs. Sakurai put down his bento to hurriedly assist the other. Luckily, he had a set of tissues secured in his pocket. Kasamatsu gratefully accepted his offer and continued his coughing fit albeit more grimly.

 

"Ka-Kasamatsu-san? Kasamatsu-sa----"

 

Sakurai was rendered frozen when he realized...

 

There's blood...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: If KnB is mine, I'll make every of your OTPs canon. ;D
> 
> Please drop kudos and write comments okay?
> 
> I always love reading feedbacks...


	9. The Past and the Present Circumstances

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Why is it that the people you'll sacrifice everything for were the people who didn't care two shits about you?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! Recent feedbacks and beautiful comments pumped me up to juice out the next chapter!
> 
>  
> 
> Besides, my hell days full of works and chores were over! So I might be updating even faster!
> 
>  
> 
> I know everyone has been rooting for the next chap soooooo without further adooooo, ITADAKIMASU!!!!!
> 
>  
> 
> WARNING: Please ready your kokoros, this will be a looooong hard ride... XDDDDD

Kasamatsu loves Kise. It may not be that obvious with the firm and no-nonsense demeanor he exposed as an exterior shell, but he does, truly does. Enough to tolerate the bullshit Kise is poorly trying to conceal. He's not dumb, in fact he's got a broader perspective than anyone else. Being a captain, he needs to be upright and observant to his fellow teammates in order for him to formulate an efficient training regime suitable for the whole team. Same goes in life for him as a person.

 

Yes... He knows Kise is doing some bullshit behind his back. And he knows specifically what kind of bullshit it is.

 

He could smell the detoxified air of a hospital. His eyes were closed but he could still make out the muffled sounds and the rushing medics.

 

"Kasamatsu-san! Kasamatsu-san! Please hold on! Please don't close your eyes!"

 

Kasamatsu vaguely heard the unusually, loud and frantic voice from the brunette mushroom he met at the convenience store awhile ago. He felt himself dragged in the wheeled makeshift bed by the nurses and doctors. His world is spinning. An inhaler was swiftly placed on his mouth to ease his ragged breathing.

 

And suddenly, he can't breathe. He lost his consciousness.

 

...

 

10:47 pm

 

Hours ago since Kasamatsu's seizure and still Sakurai sits at the same seat beside Kasamatsu's bed as he was awhile ago. He should have gone home, ask for Kasamatsu's guardian's number and tell the nurse to aid the raven until someone arrive to accompany him. And yet he didn't. He just can't. Or maybe beacause ike Sakurai, Kasamatsu is just as broken that it seems you can't leave him alone or else he'll suddenly shatter like any volatile glass.

 

In this whole stupid ordeal, Kasamatsu, has in fact the right to complain or accuse. As Kise's boyfriend, he had all the justifiable reasons to bash the blonde or punch him in the face until it's swollen and useless (though he preferred the latter, nonetheless.). He's not really that shocked to know that Kasamatsu knows, what had taken him aback was the fact that despite the raven's knowledge of his boyfriend's not that hidden affair, Kasamatsu still stayed -- which is very confusing and downright mind-wrecking.

 

He sighed quietly. It's indeed a good thing that Imayoshi-senpai had given him the home number of the private hospital. If not, he didn't know what else may have happened and it's impossible to carry Kasamatsu all by himself all the way. Speaking of who, Sakurai stared at the reclining form of the Kaijou's captain.

 

He looks dead.

 

Sakurai was internally shell shocked once he realized what he had just thought awhile ago. Comparing an alive and completely unharmed individual into a corpse is way worse than any kind of comparison. Why did he thought of it anyway?

 

A bony hand shot up to grasp his wrist weakly, Sakurai gasp at the sudden coldness. Cold. Kasamatsu's hand was cold.

 

"D-Don't tell anyone." The captain managed to whisper, his voice hoarse. He looked fragile and weak, and Sakurai feels like he didn't deserve to see this side of Kasamatsu, they're not even friends for deities' sake.

 

"A-About w-what, Kasamatsu-san?"

 

"This. Everything."

 

Great. So it is the reason why he refused giving Sakurai any phone number awhile ago. He didn't want anyone to know this. The spasm, the blood, him frantically admitted to the hospital by a just as frantic and worried Sakurai, a shooting guard from the rival team.

 

"G-Gomen Kasamatsu-san! But you have to inform someone else before  
this gets worse!"

 

"Y-You don't understand, you pipsqueak, I don't want--"

 

"KASAMATSU-SAN! You have to tell at least Kise-san about this!"

 

Kasamatsu's eyes widened completely at the mention of the blonde. He went completely frigid and within a moment his facade dispersed wholly into someone vulnerable and helpless.

 

"No." He managed to rasp, the glint in his eyes were dire and desperate, Kasamatsu seemed to be a different persona.

 

"Especially not him."

 

...

 

Kise likes pleasure. He loves the thrill of keeping something only to himself, or knowing something anyone else didn't, or sneaking away from responsibilities and strip down any boundaries and just be wild. He felt free and liberated. And very, very bad. But who cares? It's where he's famous for.

 

He could have what he want. He may not be as clever and as wise as Akashi, or he may not be as sharp and as dryly humurous as Kuroko but manipulation could take into any form and he could be as shrewd as them in his own way. No one could blame him. Being prone to all the pain and sorrow in this shitty world could give you enough backbone to start with.

 

You can't blame him. He's just as broken.

 

"Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah--ngggh!" Ecstasy engulfed him in euphoria yet again. Again and again and again. This is what he wants for a while. Afterall those hectic schedules and grades to increase are getting on his nerves and making him frustrated since weeks ago.

 

Upon finishing the 5th and final round of their vigorous routine, Kise is totally spent already. The tingles of pleasure climbs up to his spine deliciously and he didn't even have the strength to get up. Sores were all over his body. Hips, shoulders, waist and especially... his ass. And my oh my, he wouldn't say he regretted it.

 

"Aominecchi~ Carry me~"

 

"Shut up! I'm still tired!" Aomine is at the other side of the bed, just as exhausted and just as pleasured.

 

'Aominecchi's house is indeed a big hit.' The blonde thought, completely forgetting about the dinner he promised to his boyfriend after he dash here and have sex with his fuckbuddy.

 

"Please? I felt really gross and I want to go to the shower!"

 

"Tsk! Then go there yourself!"

 

"Neeeeee~ But I'm sore, you overdid me enough, so please take responsibility." Having his puppy eyes and pretty pout in place, he continues his pleading. Aomine heave a defeated sigh before lifting the blonde up, bridal style.

 

"Yepeeee~"

 

Aomine Daiki. The man dominating Kise's wet dreams every night since middle school. Even until now, it never wavered, not even once. His newfound relationship with Kasamatsu barely did nothing to satisfy his long term hunger. Unlike the intimidating and feared captain attitude that he always keep, Kasamatsu is unusually shy and quiet when it comes to the intimate portion of their relationship.

 

Kise is always the one initiating everything. He'll be the one to ever-so-gently start the kiss and lean into his furiously blushing lover to lock their lips together. Though he didn't mind being greeted by the sight of his usually musculine boyfriend spread, messy and utterly fuckable, what irritates him is the wait. It has to be the fucking right moment. He has to take account of the situations, analyze possibilities and take the right timing in order for Kasamatsu to open up. And for Pete's sake, they didn't have any proper sex at all!

 

Sometimes, despite the perks and rainbows and marshmallows in their relationship, there are times that Kise just wants to be thrown haphazardly on the wall, stripped carelessly and fucked thoroughly by someone. Someone else who had the balls to do so. That's why, when Aomine finally came to him for some literal fuck for the same reason he had- pleasure and nothing else- Kise never hesitated to say yes.

 

Or maybe it's for a reason deeper than that.

 

It's well known way back at middle school about the obsessive tendencies Kise possesses for Aomine. The blonde will always fawn over the ace consciously or unconsciously, Kise will always come to the rescue whenever Aomine demanded a bottle of water or a foot massage.

 

Middle schooler Kise would always annoy, disturb, talk, or pester the tanned teen, anything to get the other's attention to him. He would practice extra hours in order to be recognized and praise. And when Aomine would compliment him and pat his head afterwards for a skill well done or a significant improvement, he can't resist the blooming warmth in his chest.

 

He could have totally fallen, head over heels inlove with him. But he didn't. This is not his first time experiencing such bliss and blinding happiness. And he knows exactly what happens in the end. That's why he can't, or so he thought. The school year ended, he'll be entering a new school at a new phase of his academic career. He'll diverse paths from his ex-teammates to execute their pledged promise alone, well... he didn't care all that much anyway. At least he's not maddenly inlove with Aomine... At least not yet...

 

It's really funny, how his heart will still flutter after all those years....

 

...

 

Sakurai knows that this is a bad idea. A very bad idea. Infact this might be the last moments of his life once the raven knew what he is trying to do. 'Kise love-love~~ <3'. The name of the contact number blared before his eyes and he spare Kasamatsu a glance first before contuing his activities. The scary captain snores softly, features visibly softening and creases on his skin gradually relaxing into a slight frown (At least it's not a full-blown one anymore).

 

With the utmost precaution and a drop of mischief, Sakurai manage to get a peak from Kasamatsu's phone just as he was swiping a pattern to unlock it. He knows this is some kind of crime and he was invading someone else's privacy but Kasamatsu needs someone other than him to know the truth. Kise may be an asshole afterall but he's not that heartless to leave Kasamatsu like this right?

 

Right.

 

Holding the phone Kasamatsu was fiddling awhile ago (He forgot his phone right at the wrong moment), he dialled the number reluctantly, unsure of what to expect.

 

Well he kind of expected that the call might be answered a bit late. Kasamatsu once told him that Kise didn't pay attention to his phone that much especially when he's anticipating nothing so special. 'Nothing so special.' The thought reverberated in his mind a bit too harshly. The ringing was cut off by a notification indicating that the user is busy, just as what Kasamatsu had assumed.

 

Sakurai, the stubborn person he is, dialled for the second time. After the fifth call, the receiver had finally picked up his phone. The voice that answered him was exhausted and a bit irritated, as if Kise had just woken up and had picked his phone with eyes closed, with no clue of who was actually calling him.

 

"G-Good day, Kise-sa--"

 

"Hello? What the heck are you calling in the middle of the night--"

 

"Umm-- A-Ano-- I'm sorry--"

 

"Wait-- I didn't know your name--" The line went dead for a moment, Sakurai fostered that Kise might have pulled the phone away from his ear to view the caller. His conclusion was right when something felt off somewhere and the voice that answered him seems to be infuriated.

 

"WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU?"

 

"Kise-san, please calm down. I'm not doing anything wrong--"

 

"You're holding Kasamatsu-senpai's phone and you're not doing anything wrong?!"

 

"No! Let me explain---"

 

"Where are you?! You want money? You want some fuck with me? Is that why your taking drastic measures--"

 

"No! I'm Sakurai Ryou, Kise-san! I'm Tuou's shooting guard! I know you must've noticed me when we faced off awhile back."

 

Kise should have managed to cool down right now. Since he knew that Sakurai is a familiar person, he shouldn't have to be that irate anymore. But it seems that Kise sounds even more agitated.

 

"G-Gomen, Kise-san! W-We were having dinner a moment ago and he mentioned that you were supposed to eat together soooo... Uh... I assumed that maybe you're on your way back and maybe you could come meet him..."

 

"Wait. You? Him? Dinner?"

 

"N-No! I-It's not that way! I've just encountered him coincidentally and he's buying meal alone so since I'm eating alone too, I figured out maybe we should eat together instead and have some chat maybe... err--"

 

"Just because I've arrived a little late doesn't mean you need to substitute me. Excuse me, but couldn't you understand? We're supposed to eat TOGETHER. Just because I've got what you dreamed so much, you just get some petty revenge of having what I really possessed. Believe me, you're not even half as great as me."

 

"Ano..."

 

"Where are you? Wait, don't answer, I don't want hearing you're voice anymore. Just... email the address to me."

 

The line went dead right after.

 

...

 

"You said that I just have to meet him. Why the hell didn't you tell me that he's hospitalized?"

 

Sakurai sighed as he watched Kise, fashionable and ever-so model like. As time went by, he realized that maybe Kise is just keeping a protective boyfriend exterior just to pick a bone on him. He's quite aware that Kise had some kind of obsession with Aomine way back at middle school. Knowing that the object of his desire, the bastard and casanova he is, was also banging another guy besides him- moreover someone as underrated as Sakurai- Kise must have taken this opportunity to indirectly bash him.

 

He didn't look like he's worried at all. The blonde arrived an hour and a half later after he messaged the address of their location. And it looks like the Kaijou's ace is more worried on how to style his hair or what to pick on his wardrobe (to show off infront of Sakurai how uncomparable he is from the brunette) than the patient hospitalized who was supposed to be his boyfriend.

 

"It's insinuated in the message I sent you, Kise-san. The address I've sent you was that of a hospital."

 

Kise's eyebrow twitched at the subtle sarcasm in Sakurai's statement.

 

"Well then. Tell me Kasatsu-senpai's room number and go home already." The blonde said dismissively before he stared Sakurai down, after the brunette said the room number, and walked pass him casually.

 

"If you do as much as care for him, you must have known what's happening before it's too late. Kise-san."

 

Kise, a meter or two away from Sakurai, turned to gaze the back of the brunette. With one eyebrow raised, he questioned: "Pardon?"

 

Sakurai gasped, realizing what he just uttered, and turned to face the blonde as well to give low bow and an apology: "G-Gomen, Kise-san! I-I was just talking to myself!"

 

"Yeah, yeah, I'm gonna head there already before I'll waste even more time caught up with your idle blabbering." Kise said, turning on his heels and walking forwards.

 

The shooting guard didn't straightened up and remained bowed, instead he said: "There will be no time left in the first place once it's too late, Kise-san."

 

...

 

It's been days already since the incident happened. Sakurai didn't get to talk to Kasamatsu again. He didn't know what's happening, but he's sure something big is coming. But he didn't pry on further, afterall it's not he's business meddling on anyone's business much less someone he knew just because he's playing for the rival team.

 

"Oi."

 

The deep voice of Aomine brought him back from his reverie. They're inside the classroom, awaiting for their other classmates and for the bell to ring for the next lecture after a vacant period.

 

"H-Hai? A-Aomine-s-san?"

 

"I've got no homework, can I copy yours?"

 

"S-Sure."

 

A peck on his lips.

 

Aomine has the capability to do so little as some petty chaste kiss enough to send him in edge and momentary bliss, enough for him to sacrifice anything at Aomine's command. And then, as if nothing happened, Aomine head back on his desk with the brunette's notebook, dismissing Sakurai's presence since he already got what he wants. It's a good thing almost everyone didn't arrive on class yet and the other students inside the room were either napping or busy attending their own necessities.

 

His thoughts drifted back to Kasamatsu. Blood. It's very terrifying. He didn't want to pry but he's itching to know what's really happening. It's shitting on his brain so much and he could have been thinking of Aomine's glorious being instead if not because of this... shit-eating phenomenon.

 

"Ryou? Oi!"

 

"..."

 

"Oi! Ryou! What the fuck, are you daydreaming or someth--"

 

"Kasamatsu-sa-- Ah! G-Gomen! Gomen! Gomen! I'm sooooo sorry--"

 

Aomine looked like he'd been bombed at Sakurai's sudden outburst of a familiar name. The annoying voice came back on his mind. This time, even more shit-eating. 'People who said someone's name subconsciously are people actually thinking DEEPLY of that person. Awwwe~ What's wrong? You don't look happy. Is Sakurai not supposed to think of someone other than you? Wait... Are you jealo--'

 

"Kasamatsu? You're actually daydreaming about that jerk? Seriously, have your standards gotten that low?" Aomine looked like he'd just received a failing grade right before the inter-high, disbelieving and utterly furious.

 

"I'm so sorry! It just slipped on my tongue--"

 

"Here!" The ace yelled a little too loudly, slamming the notebook infront of a wincing Sakurai and stomping off. "Sorry for bothering you and just continue daydreaming with that wimp! Mushroom!"

 

Sakurai was rendered speechless. "M-Mushroom?"

 

***

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please guys, if you want something to say about the chap then put something in the comment box, oke?
> 
> Tell me your opinions, minna! I hope you enjoyed! XDDDDDD


	10. The Past Didn't Matter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kise had his own reasons... He didn't care if others judge him, they know nothing...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good day, minna-san!
> 
> I know I supposed to update this last week, I'm so sorry!!! Waaaaaah!!!
> 
> I've been very busy and I barely have time to rest. But anyways, I made this chapter a bit longer as a compensation~ Enjoy!!! ♥♥♥

Kise didn't care so much about life. As long as he gets what he wants, he could sail through it with flying colors.

 

But apparently as everyone else deduced, life didn't always let us make our way that easy. There will always be obstacles, challenges so difficult to overcame by any ordinary human being. But Kise is not ordinary. He could do tasks unmanagable to normal kids about his age.

 

His talents and potentials were visible even at his young age. He could readily cope up with the way things were done. His very sharp, observation skills and adept motor movements and reflexes, plus his gorgeous looks and charming persona, made him a total package of a campus lady-killer. Eventhough his test scores might be barely managing to crawl pass the failing grade, the girl's population could throw away that flaw in behalf of his oozing capabilities and drop-dead handsome face.

 

But Kise didn't care so much about that. Well, he may like the attention showered upon him everyday in terms of admiring gazes and petty love letters, but that's hardly enough to spark a fire on him. And that flame was lit by a certain bluenette with the most amazing form he'd ever scene in his entire life. The one who single-handedly captured his heart at the second year of middle school at Teiko.

 

...

 

Kise had never felt this kind of emotion in the past years of his existence before. Never. Ever.

 

It's the way his heart jumped so high and the way it pumped much harder than usual he's almost afraid it might explode. He didn't care if Aomine was a boy. He didn't care that the Aomine back then was not aware by his fair share of attention that could almost rival Kise's from females and males alike. Aominecchi before is so naive and so cute and he might directly or indirectly cause Kise's death one day.

 

He's too innocent for his own good! It seems that his sole purpose on living is striding accross the basketball court, maneouvering the basketball like the only dance he knew and was brilliantly expert of, and just standing there encouraging Kise to work hard and to exert even more effort.

 

It's official, he's smitten and he can't get enough of it.

 

...

 

Kise was 7 when his father leave.

 

His mama loves his papa so much. Like the way he loves Aomine, but no, the blonde can't tell him that. His mama pleaded, heart-wrenchingly and desperately so, she held the hem of his papa's shirt in a vice grip so strong like her faith and trust on him. And yet eventhough how much she held him tight in her embrace full of love, hope and forgiveness, he still escaped. What a fool he is.

 

Within the next years, his mother changed into the monster. Just like the one he too had became. Selfish, ignorant, shrewd, and yet very, very scared. But Kise adored her for being strong for that long. She's everything every man will ask for, selfless, caring, beautuful and sweet. His bastard father used his mother for fame, money and pleasure. He didn't care for Kise, so why would he bother?

 

His beautiful, radiant mother was once a well-known actress, but because of his selfish demands, his mother had no choice but to retire from the showbusiness-- her own passion-- and settle managing the paperworks of his fathers supposedly small, half-ass company. While she's carrying Kise, she wasted time doing advertisements and promotions sponsored by his papa's company.

 

She did things not for herself, but for his papa. And as time went by, his company flourished immensely even after the time that his mama is not useful to it anymore. He's very cruel and manipulative for the woman who made him reached the very peak of his achievement. Kise wishes of nothing but for him to suffer as well.

 

He leave to marry the future owner of a certain entertainment. After all, he has nothing to do with a deteriorating actress who didn't even finished a single course in college. His mama has been aging already and her critical pregnancy undergone in behalf of Kise had taken a toll on her body, making her unable to go back to the job she once loved, thus losing her fame and prestige she built for years altogether.

 

His mama maintained a stoic composure as they stand infront of the large victorican house owned by his grandparents. The mansion where his mama and papa once eloped, young hearts full of enthusiasm and bliss, too happy to mind the future. He hid under her mother's long skirt at his grandpa barked and spite them for leaving and yet returning with nothing but disappointment and failure.

 

But Kise's mother tried to be strong for him, she worked hard at their own family business, a fashion company, which was supposed to be taken over by her a long while ago. His grandpa accepted them once again. It took little time before they got to love their grandson eventually. With his inherited charm from his mother and his advanced set of mind due to his recent experiences, in no time they get to love the child.

 

They gave his mama a second chance. They enrolled her in a high class university as a preparation for her debut as the new owner of his family's company. She became super busy. She taught Kise the way of living with bliss yet safety at the same time. She told him that loving someone was pointless. To survive, you only need to love yourself.

 

And yet, as she study for college, unbeknownst to Kise and his grandparents, his mother's health was already degrading. They didn't notice until it was too late.

 

...

 

Kise is twelve when his mama leave him.

 

"M... Mama... Mama..." He managed to whisper before sobbing harshly.

 

"Kise... Darling.... My sunshine... I don't want to see you so sad when I die..."

 

"Mama... Mama... Don't speak, the doctor said that it will be fine... It will be fine right?"

 

"Kise..."

 

"Mama... I'll do e-everything for you... You're the only one I have... I don't care if we live on streets or if we got nothing to eat... But please... stay..."

 

His mother promised that she'll stay for Kise. And yet, promises are always meant to be broken.

 

"Mama? Mama? Please don't close your eyes! It's... It will be unconvenient when the doctors..."

 

"Kise... This will be very selfish of mama but could you please..."

 

"Mama is never selfish. Never was..."

 

"... Could you please give me one of your wonderful smiles?"

 

And he smiled, with tears freely flowing from his eyes and a face-splitting grin that showed all of his teeth...

 

"There's nothing that could make me even happier than bringing the image of your smiling face with me as I venture the afterlife, Kise..."

 

A pale, trembling hand caressed his cheek...

 

"I love... you... forever and always... I may not be here... But I'll remain... right in your heart."

 

And her body went rigid.

 

"MAMA!!!"

 

...

 

Kise's grandparents took charge of him after his mother passed away. They gave all he wanted. They spoiled him with all the material things to replace the void left by his mother inside his heart. It may help him survive everyday, and yet it's still not enough for him to live a life he once have.

 

He had met Aomine right after. The scars in his heart were still fresh and swollen. Aomine is not aware that his smiles had picked Kise up from his misery. He didn't know that his voice had fixed Kise gradually. Aomine is an angel.

 

Amongst those who chose him just because he's handsome and overflowing with capabilities, Aomine accepted him for his growing compassion. It enraged and thrills Kise that there's someone who could still resist his charm afterall. He didn't care that he's popular and he's fame could be a vantage for him if he ever get the blonde wrapped on his pinky.

 

And they said that the things you couldn't have are the ones you wanted most.

 

If you ask Aomine of who is his first time, probably he'll say 'I don't know' or 'some random girl with big boobs in the middle school," but if you ask Kise, it's Aomine. Unlike the former ace of Teiko, Kise remembered and treasured every moment of it, because he knows that once it ended, it will never return.

 

One day at middle school, Aomine invited Kise at his apartment. Of course Kise's heart leap in joy. The thought the maybe he's the first one who step foot on the bluenette's abode made him even more happier. The tanned teen originally invited the whole team, but the rest of them have their own excuses and Kise is the only one who said he'll come.

 

They talked about most of the things. Aomine offered him some beer and it's Kise's first time to ever drink an alcohol. By a few hours, Aomine is dead drunk. He didn't want Kise to leave. He's like a child who didn't want to be left alone.

 

"Eeeeeeh? Ki- *hic* -Kise you're gonna leave *hic* me toooooo? They left me and now you're going tooooo?" Kise refused. He tried his best to resist the begging in the other's eyes, he tried to resist the thought that Aomine looks exactly like him many years ago, hopeless and very, very sad.

 

"Please... Stay..." Yet he can't and that's what it all takes for Kise to stay. The hand clutching his arm in a vice grip pulled him in a loose hug. Kise was settled in Aomine's lap on the sofa, kneeling right on the cushion. The blonde gingerly placed his head on top of his teammate's, rubbing gentle, slow circles on the blunette's back.

 

The next thing he knew he was already on the other's bed, writhing and feeling the ecstacy of his first. Unlike his regular make outs with random people, this is different and it felt so warm and so real. Aomine is one of the people who treated him like a normal human. Aomine didn't attempted to use him or manipulated him for his own advantage or benefit. This is so wonderful and he's falling in lo--

 

No. No. No. No. This can't be happening. He's not supposed to fall in love. He'll surely end up like his mother if he's this naive. 'All people we're the same, darling.' The voice of his late mother haunted him even until now. 'No one in this world were naive, innocent and honest, anymore. I once was, but the world changed me and I'll never go back to the old me anymore.'

 

Giving the peacefully sleeping blue head a tender peck on his lips, Kise picked his clothes, arrange himself and limped outside the other's lift at the crack of dawn. The next day they met, Aomine didn't remember a thing last night at all (or maybe he did, but that's not important anymore) and Kise didn't want to hear a thing about last night either.

 

...

 

The past was meant to be burried. Kise is not the weak middle schooler who's head over heals for Aomine anymore. He's stronger and wiser now. Though he can't deny that above all of it, he's still Aomine's first victim. And he still can't deny that he's enraged whenever Aomine have another toy.

 

He's certain that he didn't love him anymore. But maybe he still is.

 

...

 

Poke.

 

Sakurai is cooking some beef ramen at his small space apartment when he first felt it.

 

Poke.

 

A dozen Maji burgers lays towering over his medium-sized kitchen table as he tighten the lacy ribbon at the back of his apron (he bought it because it was on sale), the little bump now visible through the front.

 

Poke.

 

It was light at first. Just a slight kick on his abdomen until it kicked again, this time hard.

 

POKE.

 

"Ow, enthusiastic are you Aomou-chan?" Sakurai muttered, mindlessly talking to the life form-- his adorable, surely lovable baby-- inside his belly.

 

ANOTHER HARD POKE.

 

"Wait a little will you, honey? I'm hungry too. You're quite the energetic type really, just like your father." Call him dumb all you want too. But moments like this are the ones he loved to treasure. His heart soars high as he felt the bond strengthen even more with his child.

 

"Dada didn't cook that great but I assure you a bunch of great meals once you grow up, little pal. You don't know how excited Dada is to see you come out~" He continued. Idlessly running a hand on his stomache, eager to feel something from his baby.

 

"I wonder if Papa is as eager as Dada." He murmured in the gentle breeze, eyes wide and distant, only receiving another poke from his stomach. 

 

...

 

Sakurai heave a tired sigh as he finished wiping the last table ware for the dish washing. He needs to finish his chores with the off day he hets from the flower shop. The old lady insisted for him to go back home and take some nap. Despite Sakurai's insistence that he's alright, the sweet senior woman is stubborn enough not to let him through.

 

His phone vibrated in his pocket. 'Imayoshi-senpai.' The caller id flashed in vibrant, pixelated words. Sakurai picked the call up as soon as he saw it.

 

"Sakurai~"

 

"Imayoshi-senpai! Gomen!"

 

"Ehe~ You mentioned last time about the patient you admitted at the hospital where my father work~"

 

"Eh? H-Hai." Sakurai dumbly answered, not knowing what to do about the sudden question of his misterious upperclassman.

 

"Well~ I didn't know the patient will be our very own, very cute, little Kasamatsu-senpai."

 

"O-Oi! Watch who you're calling small and cute, you asshole." Another voice shouted, sounding so Kasamatsu-like. It takes a minute before everything sank on Sakurai's mind altogether.

 

"K-Kasamatsu-san! Imayoshi-senpai, is he alright?" Sakurai eagerly inquired, 

 

"Yes he is. He could even bark back to the one who took care of him all day long."

 

"Excuse me? is standing infront of me and laughing at my misery counted as a form of caring? Because if it did, then maybe punching you're ugly face again and again is a sign lf our friendship."

 

"Awwwwwwe~ We're friends, Kasamatsu-senpa? How sweet of you."

 

"Goddamnit, that was just an example! Or do you want me to destroy your face for real?"

 

Sakurai kept a fond smile as he listened to the two of them bicker. Imayoshi-senpai and Kasamatsu-san were once only acquainted through a common simmilarity, a sport. Well, kind of unexpected, but at least a nice change of pace. What's nore important was that Kasamatsu-san didn't seemed to be that seriously ill.

 

Or at least that's how it looks like.

 

"Ah... Ano... If you would want Imayoshi-senpai, could I go there? At the hospital? I have my day off and I didn't know what to do with my spare time. It's kind of boring."

 

"Oh. Of course, you can! Kasamatsu-senpai would love to have some visitors other than his beloved colleague and his spoiled, bratty boyfriend."

 

"Hey! He's not, you jerk!"

 

"He is."

 

"Is not."

 

"Is it."

 

"Not."

 

"Is."

 

"No--"

 

The line went dead right after. Followed by a series of beats.

 

...

 

An attractive, lean, blue-haired teen stand at the convenience store just nearby a certain brownhead's apartment. The reason? W-Well... Just taking some stroll or something. It's not that he came here to stalk someone or to dumbly wait for someone to come out. Like mushroom. Who the fuck cares anyway? He just wanted to refresh his mind and take some walk, it's not that he's some kind of attention whore who's desperate enough that he's eager to take drastic measures.

 

And yet his actions betrayed his words as he immediately perked up, his dead to the core cells coming out to life out of the sudden for some mysterious reasons, when the shooting guard of Touo Gakuen appeared at the intersection from the left side of the store, took a turn and walked passing the apparent store, figure visible through the glass seperating the two of them.

 

Aomine noticed things immediately. First, Sakurai is holding his phone like it's his first time receiving it as a gift from his father which is very wierd because he only use it when the device had something to do with Aomine and Aomine is not contacting the nuthead in a long while. And second, he's smiling. Fucking smiling. It's like he's some kind of teenage girl texting his crush for the first time and actually, Aomine is pretty okay with it as long as said crush is him but... Fuck.

 

"Hmmm... What do I do? Eh, do I have to buy a meal? Or some fruits? Maybe I should--"

 

"Yo."

 

"Ao-Aomine-kun! You gave me quite a scare right there. What... What are you doing here anyway?"

 

"What? Am I not allow to buy a drink here because I got thirsty when I was jogging awhile ago and this is the nearest shop, huh?"

 

"Uh, n-no... No. I mean... You don't usually jog in this area..."

 

"There's nothing wrong when I want to change my pace. Besides, you've got nothing to do with it. It's not that I'm defending this as a poor excuse to see you, ha! As if!" Right. Aomine got here just to buy a drink, he didn't go here to see someone or something.

 

"Ah... Eh... I-I don't exactly think about tha--"

 

The phone in his hand started vibrating again and Sakurai hurriedly snapped his phone open. While doing so, he remained oblivious at the furrowing brows of the guy before him. Aomine could feel a vein throbbing in his forhead as he watched how alert and attentive Sakurai was as he put all of his attention on the phone, attention which supposed to be given only to hi--

 

"Ah? He-Hello? Eheh~ I'm really sorry. I think maybe I can buy some snacks for us so I stopped by to pick some at the nearest store. Wa? Eh? Gomen. I just thought that maybe we could have some food to eat while we hang out."

 

Hang. Out? That sounds like a dangerous word. Aomine's ear is ringing in warning.

 

"O-Okay! I'll arrive shortly, gomen. Eh... Don't worry-- Ah! Aomine-kun! Aomine-kun! What do you think you're doing that's mine!!!"

 

Aomine wore a triumphant smirk as he held the device high enough from the brunette's reach.

 

"Too feisty are you, Ryou? Keeping secrets from me now, really? Who are you talking to that you seemed protective about it out of the sudden? Weeeeeeeell, let's see the name of the lucky bastard-- Ow! Ow! Ouch! Stop! Stop! Fuck! Ryou!!!"

 

Sakurai, upon retrieving his phone, held it tightly with all his life. "This is a personal property, Aomine-kun. You're not suppose to take it without my consent."

 

Aomine howled in pain as he clutched his pride and dignity, his manhood. Since when did Ryou had gotten this defying against him? Who was that fucking asswhip who has the greatest capability of turning Ryou against him--

 

"I... I shall be going now, Aomine-kun. See you around."

 

That fucking bastard. And now, he's more than keen to find that jerk and gave him some piece of mind. Especially that part that he didn't stand a chance on Ryou at all and he's Aomine's to begin with.

 

'You're not giving up over some substandard person who wasn't even half as great as you, are you?' And for the first time, he's more than willing to comply on the words of the voice riverberating beneath his psych... albeit a little oblivious about it...

 

***

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If there are any grammatical errors or comments about this story, you are free and encouraged to share~


	11. Beyond His Walls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kise built a figurative wall around his heart to protect himself...
> 
> He built and strengthen it for years... And yet, it's still not enough...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, minna-san!
> 
> Again, I'm so sorry for the late update. I'm really suffering from a hell week and thus, finding no time to edit and write and stuff...
> 
> But anyways! Enjoy and have fun!

Kasamatsu regarded the young man infront of him with a skin-bristling gaze, eyebrows twitching with irritation. He hoped that staring the bastard down might probably melt him and his annoying, blood-boiling smirk into a pile of goo.

 

"It's not nice to start the day with a scowl, captain. That crease on your forehead whenever you frown might shorten your youth in like a year maybe..."

 

The person addressed snapped his head to the direction of the speaker and frown even deeper. 

 

"Oh, you shut your mouth up, you idiot. You've never stopped bugging me since you found out that I am here."

 

"There's no harm poking some fuuuun~"

 

"You're definition of fun might mean something else, Imayoshi-- and could you please stop fumbling my IV chords?! You're not helping, seriously, if you still wanna breathe properly you better keep your hands off-- hey! That's. My. Apple. How dare you."

 

A slow, timid knock disrupted their senseless argument.

 

"K-Kasamatsu-san?" A voice just as timid, called. "I've asked the nurses for your room number and... and I brought some snacks. I-I'm sorry for interrupting, I hope you don't--" The brunette stopped his rambling when the door was promptly opened by a familiar face.

 

"Ah! I-Imayoshi-senpai." Sakurai greeted, performing a mannered bow to imply respect. "It's nice meeting you here too. I've bought meal for the three of us."

 

"Ow, really, Sakurai-kun? You're such a very sweet kouhai. Thank you so much. And since I'm already hungry taking care of Kasamatsu here," An indignant yelp of 'hey! You didn't!' was heard in the sidelines before being boldly ignored by the Touo captain in favor of continuing, "I guess we could stuff ourselves with your food right now, ne?"

 

Sakurai could just heave a defeated sigh as he watched the two banter while unwrapping what he bought. Imayoshi laid the paper bags on the small metal table beside the bed, while Kasamatsu argued why the other gets so much food when in fact he's the sick one here.

 

...

 

"But Kise-kun! I... I love you!" A random pretty girl went out from the cafe, tailing a handsome, tall, blonde youth as he stride briskly, poise and grace still not altered even in this crisis.

 

Oh no, it's nothing. It's just a typical shitty day of Kise-kun's conventional life. He met a girl, date her while ensuring his dates with the other girls didn't overlap with this one, have some wondrous fuck and when the girl fell with him a little too deep, break up. That's it, and it will continue on and on and on.

 

A cycle. Routine.

 

Girls. They were so demanding. What Kise wants are one-shot hookups. Something that won't slow him down and limit the things he do. He can't afford wasting so much time detaching himself from some woman clinging onto him like a leech. Those were the ones he hated most. He didn't want his glorious life being dragged down by their petty jealousy or possessive streaks or tantrum tendencies. Because in the first place, he didn't belong to anyone.

 

They were so wrong when they started a relationship with him thinking that they could possibly live a bright future together with him. As if he could bother a fuck with that. He wants a care-free life away from carking commitments. He didn't want to be choked up with responsibilites anymore.

 

"Kise-kun," The girl wept as she forcefully grabbed her (ex)boyfriend's shirt in a vice-like grip in between her slender, manicured fingers. His expensive cashmere shirt which he ordered abroad, clawed and scratched by that woman. Her germs and her long nails almost digging in his smooth skin.

 

The girl cried in high-pitched sobs, and honestly, it's not so cute. It gyrates his nerves all over. 

 

The passers-by kept on looking at their direction and yet Kise regarded them with nonchalance. He started walking away, back facing her as he gradually fasten his pace.

 

"You... You don't want to leave me... because... b-because I'm... pregnant... I'm pregnant!" In the way she spoke those words, it seems like she tests the efficiency of those phrases in her tongue first before saying it again a little firmly.

 

It's really obvious, it's almost pathetic. It's been an excuse with almost every girl he broke up with. He turned around with eyes depicting enthusiasm. A fake one.

 

"Really? That's good news then! You could cook, and you said awhile ago that you're good with kids! You'll be a very good mother!"

 

The girl, assuming where the conversation is going, plastered a smile of her own too. Prevalent. As predicted, she instantly jumped into conclusions. "R-Really, Kise-kun?! Our baby would surely inherit your looks! And... and her hair color might come from mine! We'll finished our school, find a job and get married! Y-You'll stay with me, for sure... right..."

 

"Stay?" Kise smirked, his laugh (well, hot) is sinister and chilling. "I never said that."

 

The girl went quiet, her pretty eyes widened with shock. And wow, it's not the best part yet.

 

Bingo. How to destroy a girl's dream in one minute. Kise's Style: 101.

 

"It's quite rude to be making out plans without my consent, are we?" The ace continued, honeyed orbs dark with malicious motive.

 

"Do you think you could trick me with that poor, pathetic excuse of yours? You're not pregnant."

 

"B... But..." The girl was left speechless. 

 

"I've been taking medications that temporarily disables my fertility rate. I can't possibly make you pregnant, miss."

 

And then, he left. For real. Leaving the girl wrecked and her heart, in shambles. Aomine always told him that he's too nice and too adept dealing with girls. The tanned teen was too rough and brash. Well, he's partly correct. He only showed his fangs to the ones who deserved it.

 

Aomine.

 

An image of a young man, dark-skinned and muscular materialized in his mind. He already memorized the contours and tresses of other's body. How the muscles in his arms and chest rippled while he held Kise like there's no tommorrow. The exact expression on his face when Kise rode on top of him until they reached the hilt of their ecstasies. His guttural, sexy groan when Kise sunk his hips to meet his--

 

A prompt ring on his phone disrupted his musings. Kise half-heartedly hoped it was from Aomine. It was from Kasamatsu. Well, not that bad.

 

Sent from: Kasamatsu-senpaiiii~ <3  
Subject: Idiot  
'Hey. I was wondering if your photoshoot is over so you could come over here for a bit? If you're busy then don't bother, get enough rest instead. Take care of yourself, baka.'

 

Kise absently smiled as he read the message. Kasamatsu-senpai is very cute even if he doesn't purposely do so. Unlike other girls who tried so hard just to look pleasing even to the extent of pretending, Kasamatsu-senpai is a natural.

 

He may look grouchy and rude but inside, he is a caring and sweet upperclassman. So sweet that it almost made Kise's heart close to exploding. Ah, how lucky he is.

 

He tapped the 'reply' icon and preceeded to type a response.

 

Sent to: Kasamatsu-senpaiiii~ <3  
Subject: you're too sweet it hurts  
'I missed u 2 senpai! Ive been thinkin of u ol nyt looooong! U don't have 2 worry tho, ill visit u dis afternun. Get well. Luv u.'

 

Some people might be wondering why he didn't break up with his captain yet.

 

Well, he just can't.

 

Severing the bond with his teammate might affect the way Kasamatsu supervised the whole team and the way his team works. Afterall, being a captain means shouldering the most heavy burden. And the raven is not some random blushing girl who approached him and asked for a date.

 

He is Kise's friend first before anything else. Unlike his other dates who just talk about things that only concerned them, his captain is selfless and caring. And he's not just all talk, he help his teammates to the best of his capabilities. He didn't showed off. Instead, without even doing it purposely, he made Kise feel his compassion, his thirst for the sport he love so much.

 

Or maybe, it's because of a reason way deeper than the 'being his teammate' excuse. Maybe it's the way the raven blushed so hard when they make out inside the locker room. Or maybe the way he looked up to Kise, like a clueless, waiting child - one shoulder revealed beneath his uniform, tie unclasp, pants missing - that makes him so fuckable, Kise just wants to pin him and pound him on the floor mercilessly.

 

Sent from: Kasamatsu-senpaiiii~ <3  
Subject: bastard  
'Bastard. You're not a middle schooler from some random rusty school, so don't act like one! Fix your misspellings and grammatic errors!'

 

Or maybe because of the way he cares for Kise. When he berated him for practicing too hard that he'll injure himself just before the game. Or maybe because he always picked the ace up and patch him altogether again and again. Kasamatsu had witnessed his failures but he didn't just watch, he approach Kise and aid him to stand and fight again.

 

Another follow up message was sent.

 

Sent from: Kasamatsu-senpaiiii~ <3  
Subject: take care  
'Don't push yourself too hard, please. I love you too.'

 

Kise can't break up with him. He just can't.

 

...

 

It's been past noon when Sakurai politely took his leave. After saying goodbye to both upperclassmen, he fixed his things and walk outside, closing the door as softly as possible.

("Take care of yourself and your baby, Sakurai-kun~"

The brunette blushed.

 

"Hai, Imayoshi-senpai."

 

"I'll be gone in a while after you too, but for now~ Goodbye~"

 

"G-Goodbye.")

 

Just before he was about to take the lift, he noticed some quiet rustling nearby. The Touo shooting guard skimmed the whole area quickly and found a bush moving. He tilted his body ever so slightly just to take a swift peak to the person childishly hiding behind it and he couldn't trust he's eyes because--

 

"Ao.. Aomine... kun?"

 

The wiggling plant - 3 to 4 meters away from the door where Sakurai had came from - stopped. Luckily, it was thick enough to hide a high schooler's body, as large as Aomine's, somehow. Within seconds, the ace was already on his feet, dusting some stray little leaves like nothing happened.

 

"Nothing... just... just having a walk or somethin'," The tanned teen shrugged, acting expertly that he didn't just played hide and sick with his shorter teammate awhile ago.

 

"You're taking a walk inside the HOSPITAL? Aomine-kun?" Sakurai inquired further. Because what kind of logical human being takes a walk inside a hospital instead of going into parks and malls? Aomine's kind of course, and no one else'.

 

"W-Why? Is there something wrong with this?" Aomine fired back petulantly, slight furious blush adorning his cheeks.

 

"Ah? N-No! It's not that! I was wondering if you're supposed to visit someone..."

 

"No," Aomine started, tone morphing from nonchalanve to something else. "Or maybe you. I was in the department store near your block--"

 

"B-But, you're not usually--"

 

"Shut up. Let me finish. It's not that I came there all the way from my apartment to see you, it's coincidence and I'm not that pathetic." Dark blue orbs bore into brown ones as Aomine approached him, Sakurai falling backwards until his back was almost trapped in the wall.

 

"You think I didn't saw you hurrying up to meet with that Imayoshi here in the hospital and doing your stuff inside a random patient room just to provide enough excuses for Pete's sake?"

 

"No, Aomine-kun. I think we're getting in the wrong direction." The shooting guard mumbled as he ducked the other teen and proceeded walking towards the elevator then pressing the down button.

 

"Oh yeah. You bet." Aomine retorted, still trailing behind the brunette and never letting go of the argument.

 

"You... Gomen... you don't have to believe me if you can't." Sakurai replied, pressing the down button again and again, fingers trembling in panic as he watched from the corner of his eye how Aomine's expression is evolving into the one he doesn't particularly like.

 

"Uhuh? You're a bad liar, Ryou. Just tell me already that you two used a spare hospital room to copulate."

 

Sakurai heaved a harsh sigh. Aomine is being stubborn already and if he didn't attend to him that quickly, he might seriously throw a tantrum. After realizing that the elevator won't open anytime and thus lengthening the senseless conversation he had with Aomine, he chose to use the flight of stairs just beside it instead, the Touo's ace hot on his heels.

 

"So what if I have, Aomine-kun? It's not that it's any of your business anyway."

 

The footsteps following him stopped. And Sakurai have to risk a glance to see what's happening behind him. The temperature of the air around him drops. Aomine stood there, regarding him with cold, blank eyes.

 

"A-Aomine-kun... gome--'

 

The ace cut him with a mirthless chuckle, "Business? Oh right, you're right Ryou. It's not my business. You're just my toy, afterall."

 

Sakurai's heart stopped, the thing in his stomach kicked and he clutched it absentmindedly.

 

"Don't worry, from now on I will NEVER mind you anymore. Don't talk to me ever again."

 

After saying that, Aomine walked passed him, briskly pacing down the numerous flight of steps. Sakurai tried to catch up, still clueless about what's happening, but the other was too fast and he was almost out of the brunette's sight.

 

"Aomine-kun!"

 

Tears abruptly fell from his eyes. He fished his phone from his pants' pocket and proceeded to tap a familiar set of numbers.

 

"Otou-san, I have something to tell you."

 

...

Kise took his time on the way to the hospital. He even went to the nearest mall to buy his boyfriend a 'get well' gift.

 

Upon arriving infront the door, that's when he noticed something unsettling. His heart starts palpitating a little faster and his hands were becoming sweaty and clamy, as if something big is coming. His assumptions were only proven right when the moment he opened the door--

 

"Ka... Kasamatsu-senpai?" Concern laced on his voice as he approached the raven.

 

Kasamatsu is staring into the abyss, lifeless and mouth agape. His orbs were void of any emotion as the doctor beside him announced the results of the tests in monotone.

 

With cautious steps, Kise approached him, "Senpai? Oi, senpai! Don't scare me like that--"

 

"Cancer." Kasamatsu barely whispered, his lips quivering. "I have cancer."

 

The event painstakingly familiar to this ached inside Kise's mind. The sorrow of the distant memory went back to him as fresh as it was awhile back, making those years he spent building walls for that specific reason nothing but in vain.

 

FLASHBACK...

 

"Cancer." He cound faintly hear his mama whispered. He was still too young then. Too naive to understand what's really happening. But just looking at the way his mother's face morphed into a desperate and horrified expression, Kise could assume that having this 'cancer' is dangerous.

 

"Mama? Mama?" The blonde boy called, shaking her mother back and forth repeatedly to cut her musings. And yet, his mother remained frozen, sitting petrified in her hospital bed.

 

A streak of tear was hastily wiped from her cheeks as she struggle to contain herself. She can't be weak, this is the time when Kise need her especially. She needs to stand by her principles.

 

"Kise?" She said, crouching a little in order to look at his son directly. Kise tilted his head, curious. "How about we go to the restaurant you've been talking about?"

 

"But mama, you're still sick! You need to take your time!"

 

His mother looked at him, elegiac and smiled a sad one.

 

"But we need to hurry up. Maybe I don't have that much time."

 

Kise doesn't know what it means. Not until the day his mother bid her last goodbye.

 

END FLASHBACK...

 

And just like last time, Kise could feel that his heart is about to shatter in pieces once again. His body felt numb, he couldn't understand why his brain is shutting off gradually.

 

Kasamatsu. Kasamatsu-senpai. Kasamatsu-senpai have cancer. Is it too much to accept? Isn't it the very reason he prepared his heart for? He built walls around it for safety. He made sure to provide sufficient distance, isn't it enough?

 

Is life this cruel that even if you're more than ready, it will always find the right moment to take you off guard?

 

Kasamatsu briefly laughed breathlessly, trying so hard to maintain his composure. "I, uh... You weren't supposed to know this one."

 

The doctor, after quickly noticing the coming of heavy waterworks, smoothly excused himself. The room weighed with an even denser atmosphere. Kise stood two meters away from him, unable to move, nailed on where he is.

 

"Senpai..."

 

"There's... I remembered that you've been mentioning a nice restaurant days ago." Kasamatsu started, unusually struggling hard for his speech. "H-How about we go there after I'm discharged?"

 

Various emotions stirred inside of the blonde. He didn't know if he's gonna be furious, mad, sad or what.

 

"Please stop it senpai... You're sick, you need to take your time in the hospital..."

 

"But Kise..." Kasamatsu pleads, eyes swelling with soon-to-be tears and who is Kise to resist him? "But we need to hurry up... I... I still have a lot of things to fulfill with you... and, and we may not have that much time--"

 

"Stop it."

 

"But Kise--"

 

"Please! Please stop it!"

 

He wanted to shout. To go berserked and break everything inside. His heart is going to explode. He didn't consider this happening. He's supposed to live a carefree life. This is not supposed to be his business.

 

But why? Why are the chasms in his heart slowly opening?

 

And there he thought that the wall he built was strong enough.

 

"AAAAAAAHHHHH!!!"

 

***

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments were always encouraged~
> 
> And since my story is almost nearing it's end, I wanna say thank you so much to the ones who supported and followed it until the very end!
> 
> Arigatou Gosaimasu!


	12. Just as Madly Inlove

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *And on the more personal note...
> 
>  
> 
> Kise could never see the most adorable side of his senpai while they're making out passionately inside the locker room anymore; he could never see the cute, flustered side of Kasamatsu when Kise peppered his face and neck with butterfly kissies anymore; he could never hear his husky moans that made the blonde's arousal even worse; he could never hear those words that made his heart skip, made his chest constrict and made his skin crawl, despite them being uttered over and over again...
> 
>  
> 
> 'I... I love you, Kise... so fucking much...'*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, yeah! So, this is the chapter I've promised! I've been so overwhelmed by the supports you gave me, minna-saaaaaan! And that's what pumped me up to finish this chapter!
> 
> Thank you sooooo much!
> 
> P.S. This is mostly Kise-centric and if you're a little weak in the warzone of feels, I suggest you take a box of tissues with you for safety. XD
> 
> P.S.S. I'll be featuring Sakurai's POV too, but mostly Kise's. I'll give our favourite mushroom more attention at the next chapters, especially since the climax is already approaching. XD

"AAAAHHHHHHH!!!"

 

Pain. Too much pain. It is all what Kise could remember as he clutched his head in a vice-like grip. Everything is just too much to handle.

 

"Kise, calm down!"

 

Kasamatsu shouted in the loudest voice he could manage on his state. He tried standing up, anything to stop Kise's tantrum. But the blonde is too numb to listen to anything at all. The raven reached a hand up to him, only to be slapped back.

 

"Don't!" Kise exclaimed, despair was etched on the contours of his beautiful face and it's Kasamatsu's fault. "I don't want to talk to you right now!"

 

"Kise--"

 

Slam.

 

And the door was closed with a bang in no time.

 

"Kise." Kasamatsu whispered.

 

...

 

'This is it.'

 

Sakurai thought grimly as he heaved a deep breath. He's going to tell his father now. About everything. From Aomine to their ambiguous relationship, to the sorrows he is suffering at school until to the child he's bearing inside his make-shift womb.

 

His dad is coming anytime now to know that his son, Sakurai Ryou, born biologically male, was in fact pregnant.

 

"Inhale, exhale. Everything's going to be fine, Ryou. Everything's going to be fine." He convinces himself, though his quivering hands and hammering heartbeat told a different story.

 

A knock could be heard.

 

"Ryou? Sweetheart, are you in there? The elder landlady told me that you've just arrived awhile ago. Could you please, open the door for me?"

 

A voice, almost identical to his, was heard behind the door. Somehow, hearing it with his own ears and not just on the telephone line accross miles and miles away made Sakurai relaxed.

 

Timid feet padded towards the door. Bony hands held the knob gently before opening it.

 

"Otou-san!"

 

"Ryou-chan!" The person infront of his doorstep engulfed him in a tight, familiar hug.

 

Sakurai wonders if he could still receive them after admitting the heavy truth he was hiding since long ago.

 

Sakurai Kenji was still dressed up in his work clothes. Unlike Sakurai's unstyled hair, his father's dark brown locks were brushed up. They do have the same eyes though, both bearing the same fire of determination and strong will.

 

His father looked so radiant and so happy. The teen felt guilty. He didn't deserve his father's kindness, his father's love. He is so irresponsible and reckless. His heart can't affort watching that blissful expression wiped off and replaced with disappointment. He can't bear those glistening orbs dulled upon hearing the news of Sakurai's disaster.

 

"G-Gomen, Otou-san! I didn't prepare the apartment that much! I'm sorry for troubling you!"

 

"What are you talking about?!" His father exclaimed incredulously, "I am your father! I am supposed to back you up in times of emergency! Eventhough my job is so demanding, I can't neglect my only son!" He beamed. Sakurai's stomach only begins to weigh heavier and heavier.

 

He have no choice but say it. If he can't, then when? After it gets even worse?

 

The brunette braced himself. Preparing for what will happen next. He contemplated for the things that will possibly change after this is over.

 

After ushering his father inside and having him sit on his old, wretched couch, he said straight without hesitation:

 

"Otou-san, I have something very important to tell you."

 

He hates it when his father's carefree expression creased into a concerned one. He can't have him worrying too much about Sakurai. Otou-san have a lot of things to deal with.

 

"Ryou? Ryou is everything alright--"

 

The nuthead bowed on his hands and knees, his whole body trembling in anguish. His dad is not any better. Being the exact replica of his son and the one where Ryou had inherited his nervous habit from, the older Sakurai was also anxious on his son's anxious behaviour.

 

"I know I should have said this sooner--" Without wasting another breath Sakurai added, "--Dad, I am pregnant! And it is all my fault because I'm so stupid, I yearned to be loved so much that I've forgotten to be rational! I'm sorry! I didn't mean this to happen! I didn't mean to bother you--"

 

"R-Ryou-chan--"

 

"I'm sorry for being a nuisance. I know you're working very hard for the two of us and for my future and I just messed it up!"

 

"Sweetheart--"

 

"I know it's impossible! But somehow, my bad luck doesn't just end on the failures of my studies, my club responsibilities, my... my social life and, and--"

 

Sakurai's hand were getting jittery every second. Any moment from now, he expected to be shouted, to be looked down with disgrace by his father. Who would want a son like him, anyway?

 

"RYOU, STAND UP."

 

The stern voice of Kenji jolted Ryou out of his reverie. The younger Sakurai spare a chance to look up and glance at his father's expression. Kenji's eyes were carefully blank and unreadable.

 

Sakurai stared at his father with unease. When his father didn't say anything after, he slowly stood up from his bow. But since his legs were partly petrified, he settled just by sitting on the floor.

 

He waited in disquietude until Sakurai Kenji began to speak.

 

"Ryou."

 

"H-Hai! Gomen, Otou-san!"

 

Sakurai watched as his father's face twisted with solicitude and worry. There are new lines and wrinkles that appeared on his forehead, a little more than the ones he saw wince Kenji's last visit. Sakurai is the shittiest loser ever for not solving his petty problems alone and even going to such extent as bothering his father who was supposed to be minding his own business instead. Such a sore, useless, loser Sakurai Ryou.

 

"You know what, Ryou-chan," Kenji whispered, his lips forming a thin, genuine smile, "I've always lived my life in self-hate and pity because I can't be a good father. I'm always away when you needed me the most. You're always left lifting the heavy burden alone. I should have tried reaching out to you even more. I guess it's really because of my stupidity and heedlessness, that's why you're suffering."

 

"O-Otou-san..."

 

It would have been better if he got furious or disappointed or ashamed or disgusted because of his son instead. It made Sakurai feel even worse. He just can't take it.

 

In a short moment, Sakurai ran up to his father and did what he haven't done in months already. He hugged him tightly. And that's when he unleashed the tears swelling on his both eyes. His heart pumped violently and his body was shaking. He could faint anytime.

 

But that's alright. His father is here and that's enough.

 

"Father," Sakurai sobbed, "T-That's not true! You're the most wonderful man in the whole planet! They could kick me, cut me to pieces, beat me up, drown me. But I will never falter saying that you're a great person!"

 

...

 

It took a long time after the waterworks were over. Sakurai and his father were now sitted on the floor, drinking hot chocolate. The world narrowed with just the two of them - with no care in the world and the people who tried to take advatage of their naivety.

 

"I-I've been wondering why you're not that surprised that I am pregnant as a male, father," Sakurai inquired, striking a conversation. His hands were placed on both sides of the cup.

 

Kenji bowed his head briefly. "I didn't have plans saying this to you too soon, Ryou, but," He nervously took a sip from his cup befor continuing, "The reason why you don't have a mother is because... I... I-I am the one who born you..."

 

When Sakurai knew what his father is implying about, he was shock-driven. His throat was parched and his voice was muted. He forgot to breathe. So, that's why he is also a...

 

"I didn't tell you about this because I am so afraid that you might judge me, sweetheart. That you might be disgusted and decided to dismiss me as your father altogether..."

 

"Otou-san..."

 

"It's so pathetic you know," Kenji bitterly laugh, "Never in my wildest dreams have I ever wished to be like this. I'm just once at a random club celebrating something with the whole batch. And when I wake up..."

 

"Father, I-I'm sorry..." for having you fret over problems I'm supposed solve alone instead. "I'm sorry..." for being so unsubstantial and useless.

 

"It's not your fault, sweetheart..." Sakurai could hear his father's voice crack at the end of his sentence. But Kenji continued nevertheless. He gently put both of his hands at either sides of his son's face.

 

"But you know what, Ryou-chan. Despite everything I've sustained that I almost cursed my life; Despite living everyday thinking of why do I have to experience these kinds of vicious things; Despite blaming myself why I can't be devious and shrewd like anyone else..."

 

Sakurai have never felt this secured. Warmth engulfed his heart and it's too suffocating as he listened, trusted, clung to every word his father unleashed--

 

"The only thing I never regret having in this world is being gifted with such a beautiful son like you..."

 

"I've never been so thankful having a father like you too, Otou-san..."

 

Kenji clutched both of his son's hands as he said firmly.

 

"I... I've bought a house at the country side. It's your decision. If everything becomes too much, don't hesitate to call me, okay?"

 

"Hm. Okay."

 

...

 

The moment he was out of the hospital room, about 2 meters directly away from the door, Kise ceased his tracks. He was never sure of what to do next. It was as if his own life had lost its direction, its meaning.

 

Kasamatsu-senpai has cancer.

 

Cancer.

 

So what?

 

Why the hell would Kise care about something as menial as that? People get weak and die. Even some of them have to face death earlier than anyone else. In fact, way early and sudden.

 

He slide himself at the nearest wall opposite of Kasamatsu's room as he wept. He covered his sobs by clamping his mouth tight with one of his violently trembling hands.

 

Why?

 

He asked himself over and over again. Why does it have to be this hard? He won't lose anything either way. He could still shop at the malls, eat gourmet meals at luxurious restaurants or have sex with any hot strangers he could hang out with.

 

But Kasamatsu-senpai.

 

He is dying.

 

Kise closed his eyes as he perceived a life without his captain. He is actually doing himself a favor. No one to kick him and feast on his idiocy, no one to nag him during the times when he is slacking and no one to drag him down.

 

But then he realized...

 

There's no one who'll carry the team to triumph the way he could; There's no one who'll punch the living daylights out of the Kaojou Basketball Club to make them realize that they're worth more than their failures; There's no one who'll pick Kise up and yell that it is not the ace's responsibility to shoulder the team's lost, but of the captain as well.

 

And on the more personal note...

 

Kise could never see the most adorable side of his senpai while they're making out passionately inside the locker room anymore; he could never see the cute, flustered side of Kasamatsu when Kise peppered his face and neck with butterfly kissies anymore; he could never hear his husky moans that made the blonde's arousal even worse; he could never hear those words that made his heart skip, made his chest constrict and made his skin crawl, despite them being uttered over and over again...

 

'I... I love you, Kise... so fucking much...'

 

The boundaries he made around himself was strong enough to secure him and his heart for a lifetime. But he's still stuck wondering why the fuck is he feeling like his world had just been wrecked in bits and pieces.

 

Kasamatsu-senpai is dying. Death is a common occurence to each of us because there will always be the moment when the time's up. We didn't have enough time. And sometimes it is often spent with the wrong people, in the wrong place, on the wrong belief or the wrong way of living.

 

He's not supposed to be hurt like this, to be torn this brutally unless--

 

Oh.

 

Oh.

 

"Fuck." Kise cursed silently as he released a bitter, breathy chuckle.

 

'Unless I fell in love with him too.'

 

...

 

"S-Senpai?"

 

Kise uttered in a timid voice. It's been hours since he had last seen his boyfriend. Since his head had cooled down a bit, he decided to apologize to his senpai for being an immature asshole about the whole thing.

 

He would like to compensate for his rude behaviour awhile ago by at least acting a little bit understanding and considerate that as if the truth doesn't tear him in shreds and slice chasms atop his barely healed wounds.

 

Or maybe his heart just ached and screams for Kasamatsu's name, and he has no choice but to abide its plea.

 

But when he opened the door--

 

"YUKIO-SENPAI?! SENPAI! WHERE ARE YOU--"

 

All thoughts wandering inside his head were wiped out the moment he realized that the bed where Kasamatsu was supposed to be reclining on was vacated, empty from the captain's presence--

 

The door was thrown open in an instant and Kise dashed out to the main ward as if his life depended on it. He didn't care if he look like shit while doing so or if the manager would chastise him being this reckless.

 

'What if Kasamatsu-senpai suddenly have a combustion and was admitted to the ER? What if he was taken to the infirmary because his chances of living are gradually lowering? What if... What if something even worse happened? Like he's not here because his lifeless body was transported to something as sorrowful as the morgue or such? What if--'

 

With speed beyond comprehension, Kise ran his life towards the closing elevator. He tried reaching his hand out, heedless if its going to rip out or not. But he was a second late.

 

"SHIT!!!"

 

He screamed, almost hysteric, punching the metal door so hard to vent his frustrations. Without wasting another second, he dove into the stairs, almost flying with the number of steps he skipped just to reach the very bottom...

 

"WHERE'S SENPAI?!" He demanded.

 

The nurse in charge is a younger, female one. She seemed to recognize the model because when she looked up, a visible blush was evident on her cheeks.

 

But Kise had no time for this kind of shit. Not now.

 

"I'm sorry, I mean... uhm... do you know where the patient, Kasamatsu Yukio, was transferred?"

 

The blonde asked, though a little bit controlled now. He tried putting up a smile to hide his growing irritation and anxiety. Tried.

 

The nurse pursed her lips cutely and acted a little more sophisticated to appease Kise. She slowly searched for the inquired name on her computer by typing the letters with more grace than necessary. That is, of course, to appease Kise too and to lengthen his stay even more.

 

But Kise is losing his patience already. He's about to go mad now. He slammed his hands on the table, making the nurse shriek in fear.

 

"I'm sorry and I appreciate your effort miss, but I really, really, really need to know where's senpai right now or else..." I might truly become bat shit crazy.

 

The blonde begged, desperation prominent on his honeyed orbs. Sensing the urgency of the situation, the nurse decided to dignify her job and started typing the keys faster.

 

"U-Uhm... Mr. Kasamatsu Yukio, a patient at the regular hospital room XXX had been discharged awhile ago sir... Ano--"

 

Not a minute after mentioning those words, the woman found herself talking to no one. Kise is gone in a blink of an eye after knowing that information, leaving the stunned nurse with nothing but the lingering scent of his opulent perfume.

 

Kise almost threw himself at the cab he just hailed, almost close to shouting the details of his destination in his accumulating affliction.

 

He's relieved though. Even just a little bit.

 

The moment he reached his boyfriend's apartment, Kise practically banged the door and yelled for his lover. He wished nothing for now but to see Kasamatsu, unscathed and frowning like usual but more on the unscathed part (he might as well do a complete body check for his senpai to prove it) - just like any other days.

 

The door was abruptly opened and Kise couldn't be any more happier--

 

"Kise! You little shit, why are you trying to destroy my door?! Do you even know how much do I have to pay just to repair that crap when--"

 

Kasamatsu was cut short when the blonde embraced him silently. He was supposed to punch his ace or push his way out and tell him to get lost. But somehow, he just can't. It seems like he was enveloped in the arms of a completely different person.

 

Kise didn't express any complaints nor did he whined about the raven's rudeness. He just... hugged him. No words, no annoying cutesy noises. Just warmth.

 

As if it is all what matters to Kise. And if Kasamatsu didn't knew that Kise had tricked thousands of girls that he was head over heels for them, he would have believed otherwise.

 

He would have believed that Kise had somehow, due to bizarre occurences, fell in love with him just as madly as he did.

 

"Why?!" Kise yelled as he tightened his grip on the other's rigid body.

 

"Kise, what kind of fuck are you talking about--"

 

"What shit had entered your head when you decided to get out from the hospital senpai?! Tell me!"

 

Pale, strong hands were clamped on Kasamatsu's shoulder. In a sudden, he found himself being shoke violently. Through Kise's tight hold on him, he could easily decipher the myriad of primal emotions that consumes him, bit by bit.

 

Kise, after those weeks of being a bratty piece of shit during the first weeks of their meeting, had developed a sense of admiration and respect once he notice how passionate his captain is on the sport he used to like.

 

He never curse around his senpai. He never talked like this. But Kasamatsu knew that there's something powerful hidden beneath the depts of Kise's layers of boundaries that drove him to act like this.

 

"Kise, I said cool down. We will never get anywhere when you're this hotheaded!"

 

"Of course we'll never get ANYWHERE! You were supposed to be resting inside the hospital!"

 

"Haven't I told you already--"

 

"No! No fucking way would I ever take that trash! You're coming with me, NOW!"

 

Kasamatsu felt himself being forcibly dragged out. With all the strength he have, he tried breaking free.

 

"Well, I'm sorry but I'm not gonna change my mind anytime soon!"

 

"What the hell is wrong with being diagnosed and treated, anyway?! After you got healed, you could spend time with anyone just as you fucking wanted! What's the big deal?!"

 

"Stop it already, Kise! You're acting overboard already and I'm still your senpai!"

 

Kise let out a growl of frustration.

 

"Why are you so stubborn, Yukio-senpai?! Don't you want to be well?"

 

"A lot of things would change, Kise." Kasamatsu mumbled softly and Kise had to strain his ear just to hear it.

 

"Change? What do you mean, senpai?" Kise asked just as softly, trying to coax his senpai for the true reason behind his unexpected actions.

 

Kasamatsu released a shuddering breath. While he is cautiously picking for the right word to describe what he truly felt, Kise waited with unwavering patience.

 

"I don't want to risk the time we could still spend together while abandoning the unguaranteed future of our commitment."

 

"W-Wha--"

 

"Okay, let's face it. We all know that you're attention span about something is unpredictable and fleeting. Kise, someday you might just realize that you don't love me anymore; that I'm already boring and I cannot enthrall you anymore."

 

Kasamatsu averted his eyes and continued...

 

"In fact, I think there's a huge possibility in the very near future that you might lose interest in me. Especially when I cannot play basketball anymore and I'll be undergoing a chemotherapy process that will shed all my hairs out--"

 

"Senpai, do you honestly thought that someday I'm gonna leave you because..."

 

Kise couldn't say the word. He just can't believe it at all. Kasamatsu did the job to finish his statement.

 

"Yes, as absurd as it sounds Kise. I know what matters to you most is the significance and capability of each person so I'm... I'm uh--'

 

"--You're going to become ugly and you're going to be useless for just lying inside a white, sick-smelling room all day at almost everyday?"

 

Kasamatsu nodded meekly. His head was bowed down and his ears were stained pink. Both of them stood at either sides of the doorway. In the following seconds, no one dared to speak.

 

Kise took a few strides to close the gap in between them once again. Carefully, he placed his hands on the other's waist and laid his head atop Kasamatsu's. He whispered in a voice only efficient for their close proximity.

 

"I dunno how to put this senpai but..." Kise could feel his eyes already swelling in tears before he further said, "I... I don't care if you became bald or wrinkled or whatever-- I-- I don't fucking care if you'll look like an alien or something--"

Kise's voice kept on cracking every damn time and he just can't stop the overflowing emotions bottled inside of him, ready to burst anytime soon.

 

"It's quite funny y'know--" The Kaijou's ace let out a wry laugh before continuing, "It's always the superficial things that could catch my recognition but with you... I... I..."

 

Kise snuggled himself closer as he sobs unceasingly. But that's okay, neither of them cared about how he looked like a labouring mother monkey when he's crying anyway.

 

"You're quite different in your own way, senpai... Your passion, your kindness, your selflessness. I just don't deserve you at all. You're too good. But everytime I tried keeping myself from thinking of you, I just kept from wandering back. I know I'm not worthy of your love but... But somehow, I just can't imagine you in the arms of someone else. I'm selfish, I know. But could you blame me senpai? When you just can't stop telling me every fucking time of just how you're madly in love with me? I couldn't even believe this but I think I... I... fuck..."

 

"Heh. Bastard."

 

'... but I think I... I... I've fallen inlove with you just as madly...'

 

***

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The story is almost about to end! And I'm still surprised with the amount of kudos and wonderful comments you gave me!
> 
> Please support me until in the very end! Thank you!


	13. The Calm before Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You poor, naive soul. Have your gossip capabilities diminished? So here's the big deal. My sister is a nurse at a certain hospital and just like me, she's got the latest rumours around. And do you know what she's seen when once upon a time she was roaming at a random hallway while drinking a cup of her breaktime coffee?"
> 
>  
> 
> "Uhh... what?"
> 
>  
> 
> "She saw the piece of trash... rejecting and even hurting our dear Aomine-kun... I mean, no one dares to step the boundaries of being a substandard, second rate embecile, right? Sounds unusual, right? Now, darling, do you think it could be the headline of the newspaper tommorrow?"
> 
>  
> 
> The other girl smirked back.
> 
>  
> 
> "More than you ever thought it could be."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, I would like to apologize (again) for a very late update.
> 
> Gomenasaaaaaai minna-saaaaaaaan!
> 
> Please enjoy!

Time passed so subtly.

 

Sakurai had observed that as he concluded the events that occured these past few months. Inter High came along with them proclaimed as the first runner up. Aomine, due for some incomprehensible reasons, refused to play at the finals.

 

The coach seemed upset about the set-up but nevertheless, he let the ace have his way. It looks like the tanned teen lost his interest to enter the match anymore since knowing that Seirin was defeated by Kaijo (with Kise acquiring his Zone at the very last minute).

 

And now, Winter Cup is coming. The bump inside his belly is growing heavier and bigger. Even the coach had commented passively about the slight bulge on his tummy and suggested him to work out crunches twice manier as his regular ones.

 

"Today is a wonderful day. Christmas is coming near and it's getting very cold..." The brunette muttered to himself softly, "How about you dummy? What would you like for Christmas?"

 

Today is Sunday. Sakurai is cooking himself a giant, delicious meal and enjoying the scenery accross window.

 

He inhaled the fresh morning air. It's been long since his father leave. His old man stayed for a day or two before taking off to attend another business meeting.

 

True, Sakurai had been contemplating about his father's offer from time to time. Going away from these nightmares and living in a miniature world with his father alone in a countryside sounds pleasant and stress free after all.

 

Besides, he wanted his child to live happily. He wanted to shower him with love, care and understanding. If he could just conceal him from the cruelty that lies beneath this world, he will.

 

But he can't leave Aomine.

 

Sakurai winced as he remembered his last encounter with his ace. Although his heart aches so much for letting their ties severed up to this extent, he thought that maybe... this is for the best.

 

Truthfully, the nuthead yearns for his touch so much. He missed those days when Aomine hold him for his dear life as both of them reach the hilt of their ecstasy. Sakurai missed those times when Aomine would tease and laugh as he watched him limped around the kitchen to brew him coffee.

 

He didn't mind being bullied by him. He could pester Sakurai to share his homework everyday, he could demand the nuthead to make him bento every lunch and Sakurai would wordlessly oblige. Because as martyr as it sounds, Sakurai would do anything to be with him.

 

He could hurt the brunette, push him, pressure him and insult him all he wants. But Sakurai would still keep coming back, eager to accept him over and over again with arms open. Because Sakurai knows the loneliness settling beneath those intense, hard eyes. Because Sakurai knows that Aomine craved attention as much as he do as well.

 

But of course, he was never allowed to do that.

 

He clutched his bump firmly, "I miss your Dad, sweet pie. No matter how impossible it is for us to be together, I still ended up hoping."

 

He ignored the blurring on his eyes as he continued staring outside.

 

Poke.

 

Poke.

 

"Oh, are you hungry already?"

 

Poke.

 

Poke.

 

Sakurai chuckled breathlessly.

 

"But the food is not ready yet. I'm afraid you need to wait a little more. How about I sing you a song? Is that okay, sweetie?"

 

While stirring the mixture of eggs and flour, he gently started the first few lines...

 

"I was too dumb to notice  
That there's something about you  
What am I supposed to do  
I sure wish I knew"

 

(*Sakurai never thought that he was gay. Sure, some kids from his childhood often tease him for his meek, subdued behavior but his father says that not all boys were rough and rowdy.

 

From that time, he swore that he's a boy and his girlish antics would somehow disappear once he hit puberty.

 

*The first thing that came to Sakurai the first time he saw how graceful Aomine plays the sport the brunette really loved was... admiration. Admiration that morphed into something alarming.

 

His father noticed that too and eventhough he told him that it's just okay, Sakurai grew even guiltier for destroying his own promises.)

 

"All the butterflies I felt inside  
Never really mattered  
Wishful thoughts inside and smiles  
End up being shattered"

 

(*The first time he felt those butterflies was when Aomine marched straight to the bench where he is having his own lunch.

 

Of course, Sakurai was astounded. It's not normal for a weak player like him to be noticed by the guy he respected so much. Out of the blue, he asked the brunette to feed him because he's too lazy.

 

*Love comes from the small things. Sometimes, he peek inside the gym to observe (and oggle) the ace playing alone. Until that one particular day when he caught Sakurai staring and sent him a haughty wink.

 

The butterflies came back a little more violent, making him confused and desperate and miserable. And there he thought that one time is just a chance, but oh goddamn no.)

 

"What are we supposed to be  
I'm hopelessly addicted to you  
But you never felt the same"

 

(*the first time he ever realized it, he couldn't even believe it. He's gay. He banged his head continuously at his small refrigerator. By morning, he called a mechanic and entered school sporting a black eye (Aomine laughed for like, 5 minutes and it's shittily sexy and he wouldn't mine bashing his head again just to hear it.

 

*And then there is this one time when, due to circumstances that he preferred to beleft as a history, the topic about his sexuality was brought up.

 

Aomine seemed to be gazing the wrong star last night because right now, he offered the nuthead some one-on-one teaching sessions. Aomine admitted dismissively that he is bi and he would like to see how Sakurai would squirm further in bed.

 

Sakurai, that moment, was actually head over heels for him already. Of course, he said yes. Everything goes downhill after that.

 

Aomine didn't love him. He never did. But that's okay, that's okay...)

 

"Time may pass us by  
But you stay stuck on my mind  
And that moment we stared that night  
I thought it was right  
But maybe I was wrong all along"

 

(*Time is an irrevocable element of life. They have sex. From thrice every month, to once a week, to everyday. Every night, they stared the same sky, shared the same bed and inhaled both breaths.

 

Everything seems so perfect. Sakurai was recognized by the person he deeply loved. It's like a fantasy came true. The only mistake is when he blindly believes that this could be real when in fact he is just dreaming.)

 

"I held onto something that never really mattered  
Stuck on that starting line  
I'm still silently, quietly hoping you'll end up with me"

 

(*Always. He always wished to move on. But everytime Aomine directed his winning smile at him or when he wooed Sakurai oh so softly for another night of pleasure and bliss, he couldn't bring himself to say no.

 

There's still a part of him hoping for the day that when he woke up, Aomine would be there, holding him close and safe in his arms despite his eternal hate for sappy cuddles.)

 

...

 

"You're asking for a leave?"

 

The old woman from the flower shop gazed back at him curiously, her eyes were crinkled as she slowly painted a smile on her face.

 

"Well, I'm actually glad that you mentioned it. As much as you need this job, I am aware of your growing difficulties doing the usual routines."

 

"Thank you so much, Oba-chan."

 

"I understand that you're experiencing something but I won't pester you any further. So get some good rest, okay son?"

 

"Hai. Oba-chan."

 

The elder gingerly arranged the bouquet of daisies and roses, her calloused hands working the ribbon precisely and swiftly.

 

"Ah. Christmas is coming quickly than I thought. I supposed I could hire another assistant to replace you for awhile. It looks like the orders were going pile up soon."

 

Sakurai looked down, guilty.

 

"I'm sorry, Oba-chan. I really do."

 

"What are you talking about, kid! This is nothing at all! Haha! Oba-chan's wrinkled hands were firm and nimble! They could make bouquets faster than anyone!"

 

Sakurai laugh a little at that.

 

"Easy there, Granma. You need to take care of yourself as well!"

 

"But really, Sakurai-kun. If there's still something bothering a great, sweet child like you, the maybe I should just wish them to go away for you."

 

"Thank you, Oba-chan..."

 

The old lady gave him a pale, thin smile.

 

"I know you missed your father so much. I hope you could visit him this holiday."

 

"I will, Oba-chan. Thank you for letting me have this job"

 

...

 

"Have you remembered the boy slut Aomine used to play with? His mushroom excuse of a teammate?"

 

A fake blonde girl looked up from her manicure to spare a glance at her raven haired friend.

 

"Mushroom?! Do he really look like a mushroom?!"

 

Exclaimed by another girl in pigtails, shaking the other a little to hard.

 

"Duh! Of course not, you fool! Would you please use your brain just for once?"

 

When the addressed person only blinked up at her cluelessly, she rolled her eyes and explained rudely.

 

"Come on! It's Sakurai-kun! Big eyes, brown hair, probably spent half of his life muttering apologies? That kind of guy..."

 

Realization dawned upon the other and her curious expression was replaced by a sinister one.

 

"Ah! Is he the one we heard moaning that one time when we snuck inside the basketball gym?"

 

The blonde gave a sigh of relief.

 

"Finally! You've veen able to get it!"

 

The girl in pigtails mirrored a confused expression.

 

"Eh? Then what's new? That's old news."

 

The blonde girl blew at her newly painted nails before she replied, her lips forming into a minatory smirk.

 

"You poor, naive soul. Have your gossip capabilities diminished? So here's the big deal. My sister is a nurse at a certain hospital and just like me, she's got the latest rumours around. And do you know what she's seen when once upon a time she was roaming at a random hallway while drinking a cup of her breaktime coffee?"

 

"Uhh... what?"

 

"She saw the piece of trash... rejecting and even hurting our dear Aomine-kun... I mean, no one dares to step the boundaries of being a substandard, second rate embecile, right? Sounds unusual, right? Now, darling, do you think it could be the headline of the newspaper tommorrow?"

 

The other girl smirked back.

 

"More than you ever thought it could be."

 

...

 

It's Monday. Sakurai diligently woke up, brushed his teeth, took a bath, wore his uniform and walked his way to school.

 

Today had been peaceful. As well as yesterday and the day before. It looks like those tattles and tale-tells about him had gradually died into hushed, barely audible whispers.

 

Just as months came, people had finally came to ascertain that spreading malicious canards about him was actually a waste of time and effort. He supposed it's for the best.

 

At least Sakurai didn't get to saw girls whispering filthy things about him while purposefully making him hear them. And at least he isn't anymore walking in despair while enduring the judging stares that kept on weighing him down.

 

Nevermind being ignored like an insignificant speck of dust in the air. At least he was not the central attraction of insults, bullying and downgrading remarks.

 

He just wanted to be happy. But Sakurai guessed it came with a greater value than he had ever expected.

 

'It's your fault for pursuing someone who is out of reach.'

 

The brunette closed his eyes tightly, willing those gloomy thoughts to just disperse already. It's not good for the baby, he can't stress himself too much, it will be dangerous. He's having the next appointment with his doctor next week, perhaps he could ask prescriptions in enhance his body's immune system.

 

The moment he entered the school, he felt something was wrong already. There's a heavy bile settling in his stomach and his nerves were getting wary. He confirmed his suspicions upon seeing the look students were giving him.

 

The gazes were back again. The whispers and buzzes as well. What's going on?

 

As he trudged towards his room with his head bowed low, he caught some of their insults and accuses.

 

"Ooooh, so that bastard did some stunt again, huh? What an attention seeker!"

 

"Did he really rejected Aomine-kun? The great Aomine? Wow, he's absurd. No wonder he could reach nothing."

 

"He may look sweet and innocent. But it is a facade to hide his true nature. I bet he's milking from many more sugar daddies. How utterly disgusting."

 

'Don't mind them. Don't mind them.'

 

Sakurai breathed heavily as he tried to conceal his ears from many of their seethes and jeers. He closed his eyes tightly as he tried to get a good grip on reality--

 

"HEY, DON'T YOU HAVE EYES, YOU ASSHOLE?!" Sneered by a student in mohawk.

 

Sakurai recognized him as one of the notorious delinquents who always ended up in the principal's office.

 

Oh god no.

 

Sakurai stood frozen in terror and mortiphication, the outburst of the angry teen attracting a numerous amount of students.

 

"Why aren't you answering, huh?! I asked you NICELY. Or would you want my fist to ask you instead?"

 

"I-I'm sorry! I'm sorry! It's my fault! I wasn't looking and my head is bowed low and I'm not really feeling that well--"

 

He gasped as the other yanked his tie and pulled him along the way. Their faces were so close and Sakurai could just tremble in terror.

 

"Ohhh~ So this is the famous Sakurai Ryou eh?"

 

A huge bullshit is coming.

 

"Please, let me go." Sakurai whimpered pathetically.

 

"And why would I let go of such a puppy like you?" The guy uttered with maddening sweetness. "You admitted that it's your fault, remember? How about you compensate by spending a night with me?"

 

Sakurai's blood ran cold. He can't move with so much affliction. His knees went weak and his jaw was frozen in place.

 

And then there is he. Blending with the sea of inquisitive passers by (although his heart screams that Aomine could never fit in with the crowd because he was born to stand out). For a second, Sakurai could feel the sudden spark ignited in between their gazes. His once overpalpitating heart stopped completely, he gawked Aomine anxiously as if waiting for the affirmation of a death sentence.

 

And since Aomine always stands out, many of the students peered at him as well. He was like a king. Everyone waits and anticipates his every deed. All of them went still for awhile.

 

Hope blooms in Sakurai's heart. He knows he have to expect nothing from him right now, but it didn't stop him from yearning. His wide, hazel eyes were wide as he drink Aomine's form, the bag lazily slung on his right arm, his perfect tanned skin, his messy hair when--

 

Aomine leaves.

 

Dismissing the situation completely like a random streetfight he didn't want to get involve with.

 

And honestly, the mere act damaged him more than he would ever admit. Or expect.

 

Like a bomb detonating inside his chest. There's a very loud ringing in his ears and he's too destroyed mentally to even speak coherently.

 

"Well, well. So much for causing a commotion, eh, delinquent?"

 

A familiar voice said from behind. The brunette could hear approaching footsteps vaguely.

 

His overwhelming fear was soothed by the appearance of Imayoshi. He's never been this grateful to his senpai. He owed him hugely.

 

Imayoshi is quite popular for his basketball captain status, there's no doubt that even he can't escape anomalies once he joined in the scene.

 

"Haaaa?! And what would a dimwit like you want when I'm quite busy?" The guy with unusual hairstyle spat, laughing boisterously.

 

Imayoshi though maintained his calm demeanor and his irking, cheshire grin in place. This made the other even more irritated, just like any person who was addressed by his particular, unnerving smile.

 

"Fuck you! Could you just get that creepy smile out of your face before I wipe that off myself?!" He exclaimed, tightening his hold around Sakurai.

 

"Only when you release what you are clutching right now."

 

"Ha! So you're one of his sugar daddies huh?!" Another string of mirthless laughter, "Just what kinds of shenanigans did this slut do to have you wrapped on his pinky? Oh wait, was the sex good? Because I was planning to try him too--"

 

The guy was knocked out before he could ever finish his sentence. By no other than Imayoshi himself. Sakurai watched sidetracked as the guy wobbled and fell to the ground with a loud thud.

 

"Eeeh, please forgive my behavior everyone. Now please get back to your own business because the show is already over."

 

Imayoshi casually said, dismissing the matter so easily. As the crowd disperses many approached the captain and complimented him by shutting the notorious delinquent singlehandedly.

 

And of course, there will be rumors circulating about how piteous of a damsel in distress is Sakurai. How he yearns so desperately to be always the center of attraction. Etc. Etc.

 

"T-Thank you so much, Imayoshi-san! I'm very, very sorry for troubling you!" Sakurai bowed lowly as he apologized.

 

"Don't worry much about it, Sakurai. You don't have to stress it. You are in the most critical stage of your pregnancy after all." Imayoshi stated as he started to walk away, back facing Sakurai before the brunette could even make out of his expression.

 

Sakurai, body even more heavy than before, traipsed towards his classroom wordlessly with an even heavier heart.

 

Little did he knew that that's only the appetizer of the main cuisine.

 

***

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, well... It seems that this story of mine is drawing to a close already! About 2 or 3 more chapters left to gooooo! XDDDDD
> 
> So, what do you think about it?
> 
> (But if MANY of you readers would like to ask for some spin off or something, well... I'll think about it. ;D)


	14. Terrible Luck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> But this is reality, he thought bitterly. He wished that they still have enough time. But for now, even though the idea of continuing life without Kasamatsu is something he would never allow, he still would spend every day with him like there's no tomorrow.
> 
>  
> 
> Because knowing their terrible luck, any day could be their last.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAAAAAAAnd... Here's the latest chapter! Sorry for taking so long guys! Thank you so much for being with me everyone!
> 
> And also, I would like to sincerely give my thanks to Arudon-chan for editing this chapter for me! Thank you!
> 
> Sooooo... let's start the ride? XDDDDD

Sakurai's eyes darted anxiously back and forth as he cautiously paced through the partially crowded hallway. The hairs on the back of his neck were raised and bristled as he felt the gazes of every single student he passed landing on him, their ire veritably palatable to the shaky brunette. The students along the way either threw him stares of criticism or ignored him completely, determined to avoid being involved with him at any cost. Others, however, actually paused to scrutinize him closely, deigning to give him a once over before continuing their own business (because Sakurai is not worth wasting unnecessary seconds of their life).

 

Sakurais thoughts were shattered as he rounded a corner and slammed headlong into a girl coming from the opposite direction, the impact sending both of them crashing to the floor.

 

"Owww~!" the other moaned, while Sakurai blinked several times to try to clear his head before sitting up.

 

His caramel colored eyes immediately snapped to the other person, widening when they landed on the girls figure. She looked to be about the same age as him, probably in the same grade as well. Her long black hair cascaded down her shoulders like dark waterfalls, while her folders and notebooks lay scattered before her in a messy sprawl. Sharp, stormy gray eyes stared up at him, with fury, and Sakurai's own widened even further, his heart skipping a beat or two as sheer panic gripped him. 

 

The boy opened and closed his mouth several times in an effort to say something, but every thought he had was dulled as his senses all screamed one thing at him: DANGER!!

 

The girl finally managed to scramble to her feet, her mouth opened wide in fury. "HOW DARE YOU!" she screamed, her hand drawing back.

 

*SLAP*

 

Sakurai's head snapped to the side as the girls palm collided with the side of his face, knocking the wind out of him and sending back down to the ground on his haunches. He opened his mouth in shock, his mind reeling at the numb, stinging sensation emanating from his cheek. He tried to say something, anything: an apology, an explanation, something, but nothing came out, just the air exhaled by his ragged breathing. He could vaguely feel his cheek swelling up as he focused on shrinking himself even smaller, trying to make himself appear smaller in a survival tactic he had learned in middle school. 

 

He didn't want a fight! But another glance at the girls stormy gray eyes made it perfectly clear to the shaky brunette that she obviously did. Once again, every eye in the hallway was upon him, and Sakurai wished with all his might for the ground to open up and swallow him whole.

 

Or at least a shovel so that he could bury himself. Or bludgeon his attacker. Whichever ended best.

 

"S-Sumimasen..." he finally managed to stutter, just barely getting the apology out from between his quivering lips. The raven was having none of that, however, and crossed her arms across her chest, a dark, fiery aura beginning to leak off of her. "What the hell is wrong with you?!" she seethed, her pupils glinting murderously in the sunlight. 

 

"Are you blind? Are you stupid? How could you not see me?!!" She asked, clearly demanding an answer. "S-Sumimasen..." Sakurai repeated, having no idea of what to respond.

 

Sakurai blinked up at the girl, a tickling sense of familiarity scratching at the back of his mind. Sakurai forced his brain to try to remember the person in front of him, sure that he had seen her somewhere before. His eyes widened in horror when he finally recalled who she was: Nezumi Hikaru, the granddaughter of the current principal of the academy. 

 

She hadn't made that much of an impression on the brunette, but there was one particular time when Aomine had mentioned her during the break at practice. He had bragged about how she sometimes would do his homework for him free of charge, and she always seemed to know exactly what would appear on the exams. Every. Single. Time.

 

Momoi had then chastised him for not doing his own studyings.

 

And now Sakurai had knocked her to the ground, probably ruining her organized folders and making her late for her class!! She could kick Sakurai out of the school for this! Would she?! Sakurai wasnt sure, but he was positive that me might not be able to advance into the next grade because of this fatal mistake.

 

His fate rested entirely in her hands. And she knew it to. Hikaru smirked as she observed how Sakurai cowered before her, recognizing him in turn as the infamous boy-toy of Aomine Daiki. Every girl in the school who fantasized the Tōō's ace knew exactly who he was, and they were all utterly jealous and disgusted of him. 

 

How dare a low-life like him try to sweep in and still the beautiful Aomine-kun away from the rest of the population. How dare he! He's just a nobody from nowhere, and he was absolutely dreaming far too high for someone in his position.

 

Still.

 

"I'll let this pass for now and save you another humiliation," she announced scathingly, glaring at Sakurai with her. "But at the end of lunch, I want you to meet me on the roof..." she finished, crouching down to pick up her things. Sakurai leaned forward to help her, but as he went to pick up one of her notebooks she swatted his hand away like it was covered in filth. Sakurai retracted them immediately, cradling his stinging palm with his other hand.

 

Man this girl hits hard!

 

With a rustling of papers, the girl stood up and walked away, leaving Sakurai shell-shocked and confused. In just a few more seconds, the eyes had left him, and he once again became the subject of active avoidance. 

 

He stared mournfully after the retreating figure of the girl. What did he do wrong? Surely that could be classified as an overreaction? 

 

Suddenly, he didn't want to go to class anymore. In fact, he wondered if he could skip the whole day and just go home, crawl into bed, and never come out. But since final exams were rapidly approaching, he really didn't have a choice. Begrudgingly, he shouldered his pack and trudged towards his classroom, dragging his feet as he did so and praying to whatever gods may still be listening that he would have no more troubles for the day.

 

...

 

Sakurais stomach growled yet again, reminding him for the umpteenth time that his body was famished. His body had been sending him hunger pangs all day long, making it almost impossible to concentrate. As a result, he had almost completely blanked out during the most recent lecture, leading to his professor embarrassing him in front of the whole class when he had had to ask him three times why the Meiji Restoration was considered a failure.

 

Sakurai couldn't make heads or tails of this crazy hunger: he had made sure to eat more than enough for breakfast a while ago, yet still it took him no time at all to burn through it and start craving more. To add to his growing list of problems, he's been having random vertigo attacks all day long, sending him into bouts of dizziness. This has led to the burning sensation of bile stuck right at the back of his throat. 

 

He took several gulps of air to calm himself, swallowing heavily in yet another attempt to clear the unpleasant feeling from his esophagus. He tapped his ballpoint pen nervously against the face of his desk, glancing up at the clock in an effort to distract himself. 

 

He shuddered as an unbidden yawn parted his lips, sending shivers racing up and down his spine. He hadn't gotten enough rest the night before, having to instead stay up late to finalize his physics project. The lack of sleep was making him lethargic, and his eyelids were getting heavy with drowsiness. Any minute from now he could find himself nodding off, so Sakurai shook his head vigorously, forcing himself to resist the temptation the desk-face and his comfy arms were offering. 

 

His eyes flickered over to the seat where Aomine was supposed to be right now, as usual finding it empty. This fact disheartened Sakurai slightly, but really, what could he expect? As if Aomine cared about his grades at all (and as if he paid any attention to Sakurai's concerns). He had a veritable army of fanatical followers lining up outside their classroom door, ready to fight to the death for the opportunity to help ensure that the great Aomine-kun makes it through another school year without a hitch. And did they expect anything in return for their efforts? NO! Of course they didn't. They just wanted to make sure that they still had a chance to impress him, to become the one he noticed. 

 

The one he cared for.

 

The position Sakurai was holding right now.

 

Hell, one of them was probably the girl he had encountered earlier in the hallway! How could he compete with something like that?! He had nothing to give Aomine-kun, nothing to offer. Nothing to make him worth the effort of even giving him the time of day!

 

But then again, he was supposed to expect nothing. They had agreed on that from the start, all those months ago when Aomine had snuck up on him and whispered those sinful words in his ear. 

 

They were just teammates that fuck whenever it's convenient. Sakurai would tutor him and sometimes, if Aomine was too bored or if he needed to score decently in order to participate at the practice match against a strong team, the tanned teen would surprisingly agree. During those nights, when the ace was no longer in the listening mood, his hands would slowly but surely find their way to the brunette's shoulders, to his waist, to his lips, to his neck, and soon time would move as fast as the morning wind.

 

Sakurai had lost count of how many times he had dreamed of their peculiar kinship would blossom into something wholly different, into something more genuine. And just as those kinds of dreams were formed, they were shattered in seconds. It was maddening for the brunette! One moment, Aomine would cherish him as if he's the most important treasure in the world, and then the next he wouldn't even bother to spare him a single second. 

 

But even this didn't stop Sakurai from deluding himself with such impossibilities. Because Aomine was just worth it. 

 

It's because of how his voice turned hoarse and husky when he's ruthlessly ramming inside Sakurai; how he groaned his name like it's the only thing he ever knew existing. It's because of how he laughed with his deep, alluring voice when Sakurai did something incredibly stupid (and suddenly he's not that ashamed of his clumsiness anymore). 

 

Or maybe it's because of the hollowness in his eyes every time they achieved victories after victories; or the small frown on his brows when he's asleep at the rooftop and Sakurai was observing him for a good minute before waking him up for practice; or the way he whispered Sakurai's name over and over again when Sakurai almost gave up fixing the shards left from his shattered heart.

 

(And he had no choice but to forgive him every time, even though he is very sure that it will be destroyed yet again the moment he said yes).

 

...

 

Kise walked steadily towards the entrance of the hospital, his photoshoot at the nearby studio finally having been completed. He still needed to return in four hours or else his manager would have his head, but even so, he didn't want to waste such a golden opportunity to visit his senpai! 

 

His hands both gripped on tightly to the assorted foods and vegetables he had picked up from an outdoor market on the way here. He was sure that Kasamatsu would appreciate; after all, it was the raven's favorite dish!

 

Kise tilted his head back as he ran through the mental list of subjects he wanted to talk with the other before he had to leave. The world was constantly undergoing serious changes, and it was Kise's job to keep his senpai informed. So he would talk about everything happening about his school, about his part time job, about his basketball practices, and about Kasamatsu's family. He could talk for hours and hours, and not once would Kasamatsu's bright blue eyes ever leave his, those captivating depths totally enraptured by Kise's words. Sometimes, Kise would become so enthralled in his tales that he would end up staying beside him through the night, working through his assignments while chattering idly with his senpai. Often he would end up falling asleep on the chair with his head resting on the hospital bed, only to be awoken in the morning with a harsh punch to the head from the raven and an order to go home, change, and get to school. 

 

But Kise never complained about this duty. In fact, he reveled in it. Wished that he could do more. In fact, this was the least he could do.

 

Kasamatsu-senpai had been through so much already. He's the one worrying if Kise doesn't manage to get home (when in fact he's around someone else's house or in a certain club or at Aomine's mansion having the time of his life without a single care in the world), he's not complaining or lashing out about Kise's affairs at all (because he knew quite well that Kise may love him so much. But the blonde can't give him his utmost loyalty because he's too scared) and he didn't ask for anything besides his love (for Kasamatsu knew that Kise abhors commitments, and he wouldn't want to be the reason to slow his ace down).

 

Kise frowned as he entered the hospital, the smell of sickness and medication assaulting his nostrils for a brief moment, before a brief shake of the head had his sinuses clearing up. Putting on his best fake smile, Kise strode up to the front desk and leaned over, catching the attendant theres attention. The blonde frowned as a mop of chestnut brown swung aside to reveal unfamiliar topaz eyes. This wasn’t Nagisa, the nurse whom he’s most used to seeing. Oh well, can’t be helped. “Kise Ryōta, here to see Kasamatsu Yukio,” he said cheerily, his golden eyes flashing with the silent request to hurry.

 

The nurse flushed under his gaze, and hurriedly typed out a few sentences on the key board before handing Kise a visitor's badge. "Floor 2, R-"

 

"Room 139, yes, thank you!" Kise said, interrupting her before walking off and heading to the elevator. He didnt mean to be rude: he just had this thing about strangers. Until he got to know someone, he would always give them the cold shoulder. Years of being a public icon had trained that into him: after all, he had had more than a few run-ins with crazy fans trying to stalk him.

 

Kise hummed along to the elevator music, the tune familiar and soothing to the blondes ears. Once again, he ran over his mental checklist of subjects for Senpai, before the door opened with a bright *DING* and the blonde stepped out.

 

Turning down the hallway to his left, Kise made the familiar trek to Senpai's room, having already memorized the route through sheer repetition. As he rounded the corner, however, something caught his eye that had his carefully ordered thoughts crashing to the ground and his protective instincts slamming into twelfth gear.

 

There, staggering along the hallway in the opposite direction of him, was the emaciated figure of Kasamatsu Yukio, the ravens unmistakable short-cropped hair an automatic giveaway. The hospital gown clung to his thinning form, while his arms and legs shook from the effort to keep him upright.

 

"SENPAI!!! Kise shrieked, the plastic bag falling from his grip to go clattering across the floor. Kasamatsu jerked in surprise, blue eyes turning to stare at him with shock. "Kise?" he said quietly, his mouth falling open, before his concentration broke and his grip on the wall failed. Blue eyes widened as the raven fell backwards, his legs far too weak to support him.

 

With near inhuman speed honed through two years of intense basketball training, Kise reached the falling raven just in time to catch him, his arms circling around the others chest protectively. “What are you doing outside the room?!" The blonde asked as he cradled the raven close to his body, one of his hands unconsciously carding through the older boys silky black hair. "Oh god, the doctor told you to stop straining yourself. Come on, lets get you back to your room, right now!" the blonde mumbled, before picking the disoriented Captain up off the floor bridal style and carrying him back to his room, one hand reaching out to snag the ravens trailing IV pole.

 

Upon closer inspection, Kasamatsu looked even skinnier than he appeared from a distance: his collarbones were almost visible beneath his hospital gown, his skin color could almost match the pale slate of the floor and his cheeks looked thin and hollow. The IV chords attached to his skin appeared to be sucking the life out of him, instead of doing the opposite.

 

Kise suddenly had an insane urge to rip them out, but managed to suppress it as he gently lay the rapidly-reorienting boy back on his bed, running his hands gently up and down his frail body to lessen the transition and ensure his comfort.

 

"Don't baby me, you idiot! I could take care of myself just fine," Kasamatsu grumbled as the last vestiges of dizziness left him. Even in his weakened state, Kasamatsu refused to back down.

 

An admirable quality on the basketball court, but here, in the face of Kises loving caresses, it proved to be more of a hindrance. Although it did wonders in assuring Kise that Kasamatsus fighting spirit had not wavered in the slightest.

 

Kise sighed loudly, "You know that I'm only concerned for you, Kasamatsu-senpai. If you insist on walking, then you'll just tire yourself out and make it even worse. Your body won't be able to support that kind of energy loss! Don't be such a stubborn old man, senpai!" he said exasperatedly, once again carding his hand through the raven's hair, lamenting the way it bristled and cracked in his hand, rather than its usual softness. 

 

At his words, Kasamatsu stopped struggling and looked away from the blonde, the fire in his blue eyes diminishing by a large degree. "I know," he said hollowly, and his entire form seemed to deflate. Kise's eyes widened in dismay, and he immediately began to replay what he just said to try to find his mistake. 

 

"I'll probably end up like them after all. And at such an early age, too." Kasamatsu laughed mirthlessly, while Kise's golden eyebrows furrowed. Kasamatsu twisted his head back to send the blonde a soulful gaze, a gloomy cloud of despair wreathing about in those gorgeous blue eyes. "My skin will become wrinkled, my hair will start falling off and I will be as crippled as them. And probably as useless. And my eyes...I won't..."

 

Kasamatsu looked away, his hands clenching in the fabric of the hospital sheets. "I wont be able to see you. Not like I can now," he said dejectedly.

 

Something inside Kise's heart snapped.

 

"Senpai--"

 

"I'm sorry you have to see me like this," Kasamatsu interrupted, as if he was just rambling completely to himself and Kise was not there. "I thought you were with Aomine. You took me completely by surprise, I'm not prepared...I wasn't ready."

 

Kise suddenly snatched the raven into a delicate but desperate hug, catching Kasamatsu entirely off guard. Kise breathed against his dark locks, inhaling his scent over and over again and trying to filter out the smells of medication and death that seemed to pervade the hospital. "You won't," Kise said, his voice cracking as he whispered the promise. His arms tightened ever so slightly, holding Kasamatsu like he was the single most precious thing in the universe, and that nothing else mattered to him. "I'll bring you back the way you were, I swear. I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything. I know I don't deserve you, I know I'm not worthy of your forgiveness. The least that I could do is to take care of you for the rest of my life. Even if you don't have to spend the rest of yours with me."

 

For days, after Kasamatsu's disease had finally awakened Kise's awareness, a vivid picture of the raven (eyes closed and lifeless, body draped with blanket as white as his face) had begun to haunt his dreams and waking hours. Kise remembered the excruciating pain that tortured him every time the scene replayed before his eyes. 

 

He didn't want that to happen. 

 

He wouldn't let that happen!

 

Anything but that. 

 

And yet, his mind still wandered back to it. The same nightmares haunt him during night like an unspoken prophecy, or perhaps delivering his well-deserved karma.

 

He liked to dream that Kasamatsu could still live a few years more. He liked to dream that Kasamatsu could still spare some time kicking his ass or beating him half dead. He liked to dream that Kasamatsu would be there to berate, scold and take care of him until they're old and crippled and useless. He liked to dream that Kasamatsu could still live long enough for Kise to atone for his faults from him, start over with him, fall in love again, possibly marry, have 10 children (and a dog with a dozen puppies) and spend the rest of their lives bickering and fighting and crying and laughing and making love with each other.

 

It was a nice dream. A very nice one. And if Kise would sacrifice everything in exchange of making that dream his reality, but what more could he bargain for it to be real?

 

But this is reality, he thought bitterly. He wished that they still have enough time. But for now, even though the idea of continuing life without Kasamatsu is something he would never allow, he still would spend every day with him like there's no tomorrow.

 

Because knowing their terrible luck, any day could be their last.

 

***

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, may I know what do you think of it? Kudos and comments would be wholeheartedly accepted! <3333333


	15. The Jerk of the Century

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A horrified scream ripped through the air, breaking his concentration completely and forcing him to drop the ball in surprise. He knew that scream anywhere: that was Momoi. Snapping his head to the side, his eyes locked on to the pinkettes diminutive form as she collapsed to the ground, her cell phone sliding out of her hand while tears cascaded down her face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I promised you a happy ending but before that can I ask you a little favor of surviving the final obstacle which is this chapter? Please?
> 
> Thank you!
> 
> (Please be ready everyone, some might need tissues...)
> 
> (As usual, special thanks to Arudon-chan for the godlike editing XD )

Sakurai let out a sigh as the bell finally tolled over the intercom, signaling the beginning of the lunch period. All around him, students were quietly celebrating and taking out their lunches, excited to finally be released from their tedious lectures. On any other given day Sakurai might have agreed with them; however, the prospect of his meeting with Nezumi put a damper on his elation. Doe brown eyes looked up as several students began running out of the classroom, eager to meet up with their friends on different sections.

 

Sakurai, however, remained in his room. Historically, that had always been the best option for him. Before Aomine, he might have considered braving the venture to the cafeteria, but after the initiation of his... relationship with the tanned ace, he had been far too scared to leave the relative safety of the classroom. That is, unless Aomine invited him up to the rooftop with him (which, needless to say, didn't happen all that often).

 

Because at least in the classroom he was safe from the malicious, prying gazes of the jealous fangirls. The few other classmates who ate their meals with him either minded their own business or purposely ignored him, which was just fine by the brunette. 

 

Sakurai stared down at his carefully constructed bento with disdain, no longer even having the appetite to eat, despite his earlier stomach pains. He was growing tired of his body's bipolar attitude. One minute it was craving food so badly that it physically hurt, and then the next it was acting as if he had just eaten three Kagami-sized portions of Maji burgers and was about to throw up. 

 

Shaking his head, Sakurai rid himself of these distracting thoughts. Nezumi, the girl from earlier, would be coming soon, and he needed to mentally prepare for her. He could not afford even the smallest distraction. Not when there's a witch hunting for his head.

 

Or his dick, which was just as equally terrifying.

 

"Excuse me, is Sakurai-kun here?" A sweet voice chirped from the doorway.

 

Oh. Speak of the devil (or she-devil in this case). Sakurai's throat suddenly clenched up, making it difficult to speak.

 

"H-Here," Sakurai finally managed to mumble after swallowing a few times. He shuddered in disgust at how meek his voice sounded, but kept his head bowed while he rapidly gathered his school supplies. "U-Uhm... just let me fix my things. It won't take so much t-time. I promise."

 

"Okay!" the girl replied enthusiastically, her demeanor contrasting her terrifying expression from a while ago. "I'll just wait outside then! Follow me when you're done, okay?" she finished happily. Sakurai nodded anxiously, the girl's sharply contrasting manner reminding him eerily of the few times he had encountered Kise.  
The blonde had the same looks-and-acts-like-a-cinnamon-roll-but-could-probably-kill-you vibe going for him as well. 

 

Brushing these thoughts away, he snatched up his pencil bag and shoved it into his backpack. He wouldn't dare leave his bag unattended at his seat, not after what had happened to his locker. 

 

He didn't even know that that many letters could fit inside such a small space. And all of them had been angry, ranging from accusatory statements made through sobbing eyes to straight up death threats. 

 

He would not run and risk the chance of the same disaster happening to his bag as well.

 

After he had gathered everything, he stepped over to the door to the classroom and slid it open, his doe brown eyes meeting those of stormy gray. "Everything alright?" Nezumi asked, to which Sakurai replied by nodding vigorously. Nezumi smiled again, before telling him to come along and moving down the hallway.

 

The walk was eerily quiet at first. Nezumi was ahead of him, skipping all the way. Sakurai's eyes kept darting everywhere. It seems that they were heading towards the more deserted part of the school's premises -- right at the back, where there were lots of old and unused rooms. The brunette clutched his bag tightly, trying to relieve some of the nervous tension in his body. 

 

"You look so reserved and timid, Sakurai-kun," he heard Nezumi say, her head tilting back to stare at him over her shoulder. "like a cute little puppy~!" the girl squealed at the end of her sentence. Sakurai was clueless about what she was trying to say so instead of muttering something, he settled on keeping himself politely quiet.

 

"You act like a delicate princess," Nezumi continued her chatter, "you have the manners and you're hardworking and determined," she said, counting these things off on her finger as if she were making a list. 

 

‘Maybe she’s really trying to compliment me,’ Sakurai thought. "Uh-Uhm... t-thank you--"

 

"Ah! You're naive as well!" She turned her head back to meet Sakurai's eyes, her smile widening until it was less of a friendly gesture and more of baring her teeth. "You actually think I'm giving compliments, dont you?" she laughed mirthlessly, her gray eyes swirling with anger. "Maybe that's one of the aspects Aomine-kun like on you, hmm? You tend to believe everything that he says, obey everything he commands..."

 

Sakurai stopped his tracks. "I... I--"

 

Nezumi chuckled softly, halting as well, "It's sad isn't it? You foolishly went and fell in love with him, and now whenever you think you're already at the height of your own bliss, he'll cut off your wings and watch you fall before his eyes without sparing you any pity."

 

Nezumi chuckled, a dark aura rolling off of her as she stared at Sakurai in disgust.

 

Sakurai's caramel orbs widened and his jaw dropped to the floor. His heart hammered even more erratically as every words strike his heart like sharp edges from the shards of a broken glass. His barely clotting wounds were gashed open and afresh, forcing all the pain that had built up ever since the beginning to come rushing back to him in a wall of seething, angry pain. Every sorrowful memory, every sob, every night spent alone spent came hurtling towards him with the intensity of a locomotive.

 

How dare she.

 

HOW DARE SHE!

 

Sakurai balled up his hands into fists, his knuckles turning white under the pressure of his grip. "Falling in love with Aomine-kun was my choice. If I ended up hurt because of my decision, then it's my fault. He didn't force me into anything." He reasoned firmly, stubbornly resolved to prove the person in front of him wrong.

 

"Ooooh~" she cooed, as if Sakurai was a poor, pitiful animal she had found lying injured on the side of the road. "Then I guess you didn't know about his schemes. In fact, maybe you didn't even know him at all. He's a demon; a demon dressed as a man sculpted by the gods. He was born to slay the hearts of so many, and I doubt he will be satisfied with yours for very long. He's a deceiver, a monster."

 

A monster.

 

The words echoed repeatedly in his head, like a mantra played out on a broken record. A monster. Sakurai bit his lips, gathering every reason he had to prove her wrong.

 

"T-That's not true!" he managed to stutter, just barely preventing himself from crumbling under Nezumi's predatory gaze. "Aomine-kun is just lonely. He craves for the love of someone who was unable to give it to him. He wants to indulge himself with the attention of people who could appreciate him. I could see it in his eyes. His heart was just as wounded as mine."

 

"Ooooh, so cute!" she exclaimed, wiping a fake tear from her fair cheeks. "Your little speech has truly moved me astounded, darling! And what's even more amazing is that you actually believe it!" Nezumi chortled madly before fixing him a glare cold enough to freeze his spine. "Yet as much as I would like to hear your insight, I didn't come here to discuss your petty feelings."

 

Sakurai braced himself for the worst.

 

"The thing is... a lot of people despise you, Sakurai-kun. I hear whispers all over the school, students talking about you and your execrating existence. They want you gone. And if you want to finish this year in one piece, I'd suggest you start arranging your transfer papers and find a different school. Because if you don't, I know a few people who might... take it upon themselves to encourage you to do so."

 

Sakurais face blanched. "Wh... what are you talking about?" he stammered, staring at the girl with terror. However, instead of answering the question, Nezumi simply walked passed him, leaving Sakurai to contemplate her warning.

 

Sakurai gulped.

 

...

 

This is getting bad.

 

Sakurai inhaled large gulps of air as he finished the second lap, his feet already sore despite the fact that they had only just started. They still had eight more laps to go, and yet he's already fallen far behind his teammates. His heart felt like it was exploding, and he didn't realize that warm ups could actually give him this kind of torture. 

 

Practice had started earlier than usual, the teachers were called into an emergency meeting and thus leaving them no choice but to dismiss their classes. The coaches from the clubs eagerly jumped at the opportunity to train their members in the extra time.

 

Aomine was not at the gym yet, Sakurai noticed. He wasn't present during attendance this morning either. This was not unexpected though, and the brunette really had no excuse to fret over it. And yet his growing anxiety was telling him otherwise. He hadn't been able to talk to him in class for the past few days, and when practice came around the ace disregarded his existence entirely, treating him as if he were just an overgrown dust bunny. 

 

He could feel Momoi's worried glances upon him, and he was sure that the pinkette would ask him what's going on any day now.

 

The air surrounding him was thick with tension, and he could tell that the others were ignoring him intentionally. During the stretching session (which was needed to be executed by pairs) no one had approached him, and Imayoshi, who had already warmed up, was forced to assist him despite the brunette's constant apologies for being a bother to him and pleas for him to quit and leave him alone.

 

Sakurai cast the captain a thankful look which was returned by an understanding one.

 

Just after the shooting drills (the only thing he still excelled at more than anyone else), his lips were already pale and he was sweating excessively. The team chattered idly during the break, but whenever Sakurai would try to join the conversation, they would awkwardly reply to him with short answers and move onto another topic. 

 

It's something Sakurai could understand. After all, with the myriad of rumors and gossip floating about him, the team was expected to raise their doubts on the brunette.

 

Later on, they were divided into two groups for the practice match. Being a first string, Sakurai was chosen to take part of the mock game. In the midst of the first half, Sakurai was already panting hard. However, all he did was run from one side of the court to the other. No one was passing to him and when the ball was finally handed over him, his shot just barely made it in. And even then, he had had to take a step forward, making it a two pointer rather than a three, like they had needed. 

 

And now, with the first half was almost over, he had barely scored four points for his team, rather than his usual ten or twelve. He felt dejected, but unsurprised, as the coach pulled him out at the second half and told him to rest because clearly, he was not in any shape to play right now.

 

It was when the coach granted them a longer break that he overheard the conversation between the coach and their manager. Almost all of his teammates were out to get some food but Sakurai chose to remain inside the gym, practicing (and failing) to shoot a three-point basket.

 

He clicked his tongue in annoyance as the ball spun out from the rim, just a few precious inches short from going in. He paused as his ears twitched, the dulcet tones of the coach reaching the sensitive organs.

 

"I don't think he can make it." He could hear his coach's deep voice reverberating inside the opposite gym. Sakurai quietly picked up the ball and tip-toed over to the door connecting the two gyms, pressing his ear up against the crack to listen in.

 

On the other side, Momoi furrowed her light pink eyebrows in concern. "I-I could say the same thing," she stuttered, clutching her record book tightly to her chest. "His statistics have been falling drastically and I believe that he's in no condition to participate in this next tournament. Not unless we see a marked increase in his performance."

 

Sakurai gasped softly. He hugged the unsuspecting orange sphere securely, willing himself not to release any more noises.

 

"His teammates are deliberately ignoring him as well," the older man said, nodding to himself, "I suggest we replace him already. If he's going to be like this on the real court, then we’ll assign someone else to his position. We cannot afford mediocrity on this team, but if that's what he's going to give us, then there's nothing left to do but bench him. I understand that there were harsh rumors circulating about... his extracurricular activities; but if he's going to let this affect his performance, then it's his problem."

 

Man, that hurts. Basketball is his life. He'd devoted so much time during his middle school just to be recruited by a powerhouse high school like Tōō. But, he guessed, dreams held no account to the results of the game. What matters most at the end was talent and skill. If you have none, then where could determination and dreams bring you? Sakurai couldn't blame them, after all he's the one being pathetic. He got himself pregnant by someone who couldn't even spare him a single ounce of genuine affection.

 

It's because he's too thirsty for someone else's love that he forgot all about himself. His dreams. His hopes. They were all useless now. Quietly, he reached his bag and attempted to escape home.

 

Attempted.

 

Tripping over the slings of his bag, Sakurai's back slammed against the door behind him, sending him tumbling through and landing on the other side.

 

"S-Sakurai-kun?"

 

Sakurai tilted his head back, his large brown eyes locking on the upside down figures of Momoi and his coach, both of whom were staring at him with wide eyes. They didn't mean to discuss the topic within Sakurai's earshot. But regrets always came later.

 

Cursing his clumsiness, the brunette twisted about and sat up, bowing his head in apology. "S-Sumimasen! he said, closing his eyes tightly.

 

"Sakurai," the coach coughed, "How much of that did you hear?" He asked, his dark eyes deepening in regret.

 

Sakurai bit his bottom lip, not wanting to lie, but not willing to admit to eavesdropping either. "A-All of it," he finally answered, to which the coach and manager both sighed.

 

"Sakurai, you were not meant to hear that. I apologize for my harsh words," the coach said, bowing his head to the brunette.

 

Sakurai shook his head back and forth, scrambling to pick himself up off the ground. "It's okay, I-I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," he mumbled, his voice cracking and his eyes focused on frantically shoving his things back into his bag, trying to ignore how blurry they were getting as moisture clouded his vision. "I understand, I could give you a resignation letter t-tomorrow, I-I could retrieve my stuff at the locker first thing at the morning--"

 

"Sakurai-kun!" Momoi cried, "y-you don't have to, what we mean is you could take your time recovering your strength for a while until you're in back in your best condition! And then, maybe you could return to the first string and participate in the games at the next tournament!"

 

Best condition? But it could take a year for him to retrieve his best shape! That is, if he wouldn't be kicked out the moment the school discovered his pregnancy (and if he could survive the new batch of rumors about his current controversy). And then, as much as he hated it, there's also the possibility of dropping out school. Many more people would judge him, accuse him for being irresponsible, insult him for being a whore who wants nothing but being pleased with a random stranger every night, but he would do it if it meant taking care of the child. He couldn't just leave it to fend for its own, after all.

 

"I-It's okay," Sakurai answered dumbly, every frantic elucidation was vaguely registered in his obtused brain, "I'm... I'm sorry...."

 

He packed his bag quickly, his hands trembling. Momoi and the Tōō coach watched him helplessly as Sakurai sprinted out of the court and possibly out of their lives.

 

…

 

‘It's still early in the afternoon,’ Sakurai thought. His shirt was sticking uncomfortably to his skin with sweat but he didn't care. He trudged towards the gates briskly, determined to get out of here as soon as possible. And that is when he saw him...

 

"A-Aomine-kun?" The brunette gaped in shock.

 

"Hey, there." The bluenette greeted halfheartedly, fixing the brunette with a considering look before dismissing him silently by looking away.

 

Sakurai was not supposed talk to him anymore, but he couldn't stop himself from asking, "A-Are you going to p-practice?"

 

Aomine paused, turning to look at the smaller male with deep, cobalt-blue eyes. "Maybe," he replied lazily, shrugging his shoulders in an, I-dont-know-or-care expression.

 

Sakurai still strained a smile anyway. "T-That's good then!"

 

The ace paused, tilting his head to the side in consideration before shrugging his shoulders again. "Whatever," Aomine said, before walking past the Shooting Guard without sparing him another glance. 

 

He halted in his tracks, however, when he felt a hand gripping his uniform. Lazily, he tilted his head back to stare straight at the other's desperate eyes.

 

"W-Wait... Uhmmm..." Sakurai mustered the words unintelligently, his fingers quivering. He didn't know what to say but he wanted to Aomine to stay a little longer. He wanted to see his face, to feel his skin, to memorize the contours of his face, the dark hue of his eyes and the softness of his hair for the final time.

 

"Please, stay."

 

And for a split second, the world dimmed in grey. Everything insignificant were deformed into a blur and what's left were the two of them. Sakurai wants to think that they could always be like this, that they're the only creature existing. Aomine leveled him with an unreadable look.

 

"Ryō, I don't know what you want," the tanned teen admitted calmly, "but I'm sure... that if you want to be happy the I advice you to break the bond we used to have..."

 

Sakurai breathed heavily, "Aomine-kun, the only place where I could be happy was--"

 

"With me?" Aomine finished for him before chuckling humorlessly, "how are you supposed to be happy with me? You realized the downhill of this relationship, right? You... you can't change me." And for the very first time, Sakurai could clearly see what his eyes were holding. Restraining. This is the most honest Aomine could be, so Sakurai let him speak further without interrupting.

 

"I may not love you the way you love me. But as a teammate and possibly, if you may allow it, as your friend," the ace seemed to be choosing his words carefully...

 

"Let go... I don't want you to hurt yourself further..." He whispered, before turning away from Sakurai, the brunette's hand falling away from his uniform as the Aomine stalked off.

 

Sakurai's head dropped, the tears that had been building up ever since the gym incident finally spilling down his cheeks. It was too much.

 

It was just too much.

 

His chest shook as a sob ripped out of his throat, and without looking he turned and stormed out of the front gate, his eyes shut tight as tears continued to rain down from his eyes.

 

...

 

Aomine was, and still remains to be, the greatest jerk of the century. He could acknowledge that fact with open arms. He's not good with emotions and he truly hated himself for talking to his brain like some mentally challenged fool. But this is for the better, he reasoned to himself. No strings attached, no internal wounds to patch. It's better not to fall in love at all than to fall in love and to have your heart shredded into tiny pieces.

 

This is for the better, he repeated to himself for the twentieth time (no, he's not counting, it's just his superb instincts providing the details). Yet something inside him, vulnerable and completely shielded from the horrors of the world, told him: is it?

 

He dribbled the ball adeptly in his hands and shoot it in the net with a crooked angle. Yes, he is practicing and no, no one had managed to persuade him into this (especially not that dumb brunette he encountered on his way). He went here because he's bored and his muscles needed exercise. That's it. Period.

 

He's been here for hours and it's already gotten dark. Momoi didn't scold him anymore because what's more important was the fact that he even came. He stealthily maneuvered the ball away from his imaginary opponent, a little wary about his childhood friend's nervous behavior. And then his mind drifted back to the brunette on his way out of the school.

 

Why was he going home, again?

 

Maybe that's it. Ryō was probably sick and doing poorly, and that's why Momoi was worried. 

 

It all made sense.

 

And why is it his business, again?

 

‘Well,’ he reasoned to his self stubbornly, ‘maybe because I’m just curious, or maybe was worried as well-’

 

A horrified scream ripped through the air, breaking his concentration completely and forcing him to drop the ball in surprise. He knew that scream anywhere: that was Momoi. Snapping his head to the side, his eyes locked on to the pinkette's diminutive form as she collapsed to the ground, her cell phone sliding out of her hand while tears cascaded down her face.

 

Within seconds, Aomine was moving, sprinting across the gym faster than he would even in the Zone. Beside him, the captain attempted to keep up, but Aomine still reached the girl first, sliding down beside her to grab ahold of her shaking form, his eyes flicking over her body in search of any possible harm. 

 

The others caught up moments later, all huddling around her as well. Something heavy and wild started to go berserk in his gut as he stared at the tears leaking from Momoi's face, but it wasnt because she was in distress. 

 

His instincts were telling him that something was very, very wrong. He didn't know what it was.

 

But he didn't like that. At all.

 

"Momoi-san," Imoyashi said from behind him, his voice dripping with concern. "Whats wrong? What's happened?"

 

"Sakurai-kun," she whispered almost inaudibly, the words causing Aomine's form to freeze and bristle. Momoi's head tilted up finally, her pink orbs wide with horror as they met Aomine's wild blue. "He's been in an accident! The doctor just called me from ER, saying that they can't get his father through his phone's speed dial, so he directed the call to me instead. He was hit straight on by a speeding car, and the doctor said that he's lucky he is even still alive--"

 

"WHICH HOSPITAL?" A dark voice said from right in front of her, causing the pink eyes to swivel back onto Aomine's face. The ace's visage was completely hardened, and he looked for all the world like his own was ending. "T-Tokyo Central, about a kilometer from here. But Dai-chan, where are you--"

 

But Aomine was not listening anymore. His brain was totally shut down and the only thing that he could hear was the rapid beating of his cardiac muscle. He didn't think, he didn't waste any second, his legs operated automatically and propelled him into a mad run.

 

Okay, maybe he cared. A lot. Too much.

 

And it took him a car crash and Sakurai's life at bay to comprehend that piece of information inside his stupid head.

 

***

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is not yet the final chapter. Have faith in the epilogue (which is something... I haven't finished yet XD )
> 
> Thanks for the support guys! You're awesome!


	16. A Happy Ending

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The end...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now, I'm back from the dead...
> 
> I'M VERY, VERY SOOOOOOORRYYYY!!! SORRY FOR BEING A DISAPPOINTMENT, SORRY FOR BEING A MERCILESS, PATHETIC AUTHOR!!! T.T
> 
> Ahem. So okay, before you start, I want to warn you of the sudden time skips. The timeline of the chapter will alternate from now and what happened 6 years ago.
> 
> The rest will be figured out by yourself~ Beware , goodluck and have fuuuuun~

6 years after.

 

A tan-skinned man exited from the corporate building, wearing a business tuxedo that strangely suited his midnight blue hair and trying (and failing) to clip a smartphone on his ears by his shoulders, and to balance two brief cases and a folio on his hands. The man from the other line clearly irates him if his current expression wasn't a giveaway enough.

 

"Appointment? Again? What the fuck?!"

 

"As much as I'm copacetic to your personal remark, Aomine-kun, your own use of language to express it is highly disagreeable."

 

"What fucking kind of dictionary did you get your vocabularies from, Tetsu? After all this time, I still think you're deriving your words from the alien nomenclature or something!"

 

"Again, Aomine-kun, please be aware from using words a CEO is not supposed to use. And for the last time, I'm not blurting words from any extraterrestrial's lingo."

 

"Fine, fine. Tell me the details. Notify the pannel to summarize their reports already because I'll be reviewing their updates only until four in the afternoon. I don't want to sit until daylight for a long ass nonsense."

 

"Copy, Mr. Aomine. But again, let me remind you--"

 

"Yeah, yeah. Language, language..."

 

"And also, you told me to reinform you about the Children's Play Program--"

 

"Children's Play Program? Is that some kind of celebration in the orphangae foundation we visited a week ago?"

 

"Yes, it's indeed a children's play too, as a form of their annual fund raising activity and it's still arranged for the next month. What am I concerned about is your promise to watch Saiki's performance at their play which was actually scheduled at 3:30 pm--"

 

Aomine's eyes widened slightly, "Oh shit! I forgot about that! Give the board an urgent notice to trigger some changes and adjust the meeting so that we could finish an hour early!" The brief case at his other hand almost slipped from his grasp and he almost cursed. Again.

 

"Understood, CEO-san."

 

"Stop calling me that, idiot!" Aomine screeched as the buttlers waiting for him in the (a sleek, heavy tinted, probably very opulent) car rushed to assist his misery of barely held brief cases and an almost crumpled folio.

 

...

 

6 years before.

 

Aomine's lungs were squeezing tightly, he could barely breathe. Yet those concerns were considered minor as he sprinted towards the entrance of the hospital in his practice attire. He ignored the bullets of sweat that ran past his benumbed, torpid body. The adrenaline in his veins pumped viciously, ripping inside his blood vessels with anxiety, frustration, hopelessness and despair. His mind was entirely blank, his brain couldn't process anything besides the fact that Sakurai was scarcely alive and marginally approaching death.

 

He almost slammed the fiber glass doors open, barelling through his path with wild, berserked inhuman speed he never knew existed (despite his unhindered awareness of possessing extraordinary physical prowess). The pristine white tiles that ran across his route were graced with red, puddles of red, red blood glinting from the flourescent lights and making Aomine sick in his stomach.

 

Never once did he doubt that it came from any people other than the brunette himself.

 

"WHERE?!" He yelled at the nurse in the reception. The young lady in white almost understood what he's asking and anwered his frantic inquiry without hesitation.

 

"Patient has been in the Emergency Room, Ward 3, 2nd floor--"

 

It didn't took her another minute to realize that she was actually talking to the mist of air, full of disinfectants and odors a hospital could possess, and the ones asking her was already gone before she even got to finish mentioning the floor where the aforementioned patient was located.

 

He found himself sprinting in a hallway, the door to the Emergency Room just seconds away from his reach. A part of his mind imagined that he could enter the room and see his Sakurai with only a few scratches, smiling widely at him and convincing him that 'It's fine Aomine-kun, I'm okay! You don't have to worry that much! B-But I-I'm really sorry though, f-for troubling you' (and not moments away from his death).

 

But before he even got the chance to touch the knob, strong pairs of arms clamped his own. He's immobilized and he could only feel the pumping of adrenaline rushing through his ears more. "WHERE IS HE?!" The bluenette demanded, attempting to escape from the guard's vice like clutches. A doctor came out, his hands stained in red.

 

"You're not his father." The doctor deduced, eyes as blank as the rest of the walls in the hospital, scanning his physique with sharp pairs of greyish orbs.

 

"W-What? No! I'm--" his what?

 

"The father of his child?" The doctor supplied. It took Aomine longer than necessary to digest the information. Something clicked in his mind to place, Momoi's assumptions were right after all. She has been insisting that fact almost everyday. Aomine always dismissed her ridiculous ideas until now, when it became reality itself.

 

"H-He's pregnant?!" However, it's still not easy to collect yourself if you're experiencing an almost unbelievable phenomena unveiling before your bare eyes.

 

"Yes. And since the situation is urgent and none of his direct relatives are currently at present, I want you to make the decision."

 

What.

 

"W-What the fuck a-are you talking about--"

 

"Are you the other biological father or not?" The doctor snapped back in urgency.

 

Aomine balled his fist and grounded his teeth, "Yes." Because who will it be if he's actually not? Probably off to somewhere remote and relatively far from Japan with a missing teeth or two.

 

"Mr. Sakurai's condition is critical so I have to take your judgement as soon as possible. I am not going to beat around the bush anymore, you have to choose who will live: Your lover or your child."

 

He began seeing his world in gray. Nothing makes sense to him anymore. This is the kind of torture that could kill him slowly.

 

...

 

4:25 pm

 

"Hey, can't you be any faster?" Aomine remarked, shuffling freshly printed papers on his lap with furrowed brows. He needs to get there on time or else, no, he's not even going to think about that.

 

Saiki was very much like his 'other' father. Vivid in his memory was the incident that happened a year ago. He failed his promise for his little one to attend to his very first performance play. But Saiki have not arisen a rampage of tears and wails or a tantrum infront of thousands of hopeful and anticipating parents.

 

No. He didn't. Because he knows that everyone has worked hard for the event. Because Saiki knew that if he became selfish and jeopardize the whole play, he will disgrace his teachers, his classmates and especially Daiki 'tou-san. It's really a miracle why the kid grew to be more understanding, more gentle and more friendly given that there's only Aomine (and Momoi, of course, of course, and Kuroko, surprisingly, he's been eternally grateful for it) taking care of him.

 

Saiki didn't ignored him last time or shouted at him for being a complete ass of a father. Instead, after the theater, Saiki ran towards him and embraced him. Aomine apologized profusedly, sincerely, assuring his son he'll never do it ever again but the child just said, "What's more important is you're here, dad."

 

'What's more important is you're here.'

 

That's what 'he' will say when Aomine didn't showed up in the rooftop for lunch. When Aomine wasn't at the meeting place. When he arrived at their rendezvous past the arranged hour. His son had been the reminder of his mistakes in his past, the mark of every searing pain he inflicted and the reason why he's still going.

 

The damage on his son surfaced when he noticed that Saiki had gradually isolated himself from the world. It's when he started studying and practicing twice harder. It's when he worked more than his classmates did not just because he wanted to be recognized by his advisers but also because he wanted to be noticed by his father as well.

 

And he's just a kid.

 

That's why Aomine swore to himself: to be an actual father for once. He may be the (unwavering) jerk of the century but he's willing to sober himself up for Saiki, for Sakurai. He'll do his best for his child's happiness.

 

That's the least that he could do. For now.

 

After parking, he dismissed the butlers. All heads were on him when he entered the cinematheque. Mothers were giggling with each other, praising his looks and bantering if he was really a father or he was just a guest for the event (eventhough both points were considered true). He took a seat at one of the empty VIP chairs, wanting to be noticed by his child first before stepping foot on the center stage.

 

He was fiddling his phone when someone took a seat beside him. A girl in her twenties, probably an alumni or a sponsor.

 

"Ano..."

 

He turned his head to face her. Brown, vibrant eyes (not as brown and as vibrant as Sakurai's), button nose, heart-shaped lips and cheeks decorated in pink. The man knows what's coming, Kuroko and Momoi taught him how to react in this kind of situation--

 

"Y-You're really, really handsome, mister. I-I hope that... we could have a coffee sometime?" She said, her voice trembling a little.

 

"Well, Miss...?"

 

"A-Akira! Akira Kayano, sir!"

 

"Akira-san, as you see I'm here to watch my son perform..."

 

"A son? You don't look like a father-- I'm sorry! That must be rude of me!"

 

He raised a hand, "It's alright, I'm used to it. Besides, I'm already taken, I do not wish to sail on two rivers." He gave him a serene smile.

 

Kuroko and Momoi shall be proud. He even perhaps need a round of applause.

 

"Ah... uhmm... I-I understand." Akira bowed her head slightly, clutching her hands together.

 

"Let's just enjoy the play, shall we?"

 

"O-Okay..."

 

...

 

Aomine sat quietly on the waiting lounge, calloused hands massaging the point on his temples. Evident on the furrows of his forehead was the total amount of devastation accumulated throughout the single day, evident on the dark splotches marking the skin beneath his eyes was the lack of sleep during the past hours of midnight and evident on the dullness of his blue orbs was the searing pain brought by the recurrent circumstances.

 

Aomine was known for following his own instincts rather than analyzing the situation, counting the possibilities and carefully making a decision. No, he wasn't that kind of man. But, as the condition requires, Aomine has to make a reasonable judgement within the limited span of time. He'll be damned to hell before he could as much as think of one possible scenario without either of them.

 

He couldn't believe for a million years that he could say this: he will never sacrifice his life for any person because that's pathetic, but right now he rather have himself inside the emergency room instead.

 

A sob escaped his system involuntarily, surprising him as he noticed the streaks of tears running down his distressed face like waterfalls. The second tear came out with hesitation. The third one cascaded with realization. And the rest streamed down uncoerced, permitted by his own free-will.

 

"You were supposed to attend the engangement party awhile ago." A deep, gruff voice muttered beside him softly. Aomine didn't even noticed he was there.

 

The bluenette chuckled without mirth, "Sorry. I'm kinda preoccupied."

 

'Now, why the hell was that old man here.'

 

There was a brief moment of silence before there was a reply, "I could see. I was really close to dragging your ass to the venue myself when Momoi called me earlier."

 

'Oh. Of course, it's Momoi.'

 

The senior continued to rattle on, attempting to disperse the heavy atmosphere, "Fortunately, Kyoko had such a golden heart and allowed his soon-to-be-husband - which, in this case, me - to visit you here."

 

Aomine allowed a small smile to creep up his cheeks. It's been a long time since his father cracked up some humor on him. Most of their recent days were spent arguing and fighting.

 

"If you're going to choose who will live between me and Kyoko, what will be your verdict?" he asked, out of the blue. His father eyed him curiously.

 

"What's with the sudden question? You do know how stupid it sounds right?"

 

Aomine thinned his lips.

 

"Yeah, I've been doubting my sanity apparently as well because I was forced to conjure an answer to that same stupid question."

 

...

 

The play went surprisingly well. Saiki fumbled and stuttered in between some of his dialogues but eventually, he came to adapt the atmosphere and portray his role successfully. With an encouraging smile from his father, Saiki continued his forgotten speech without a hitch. A big round of applause was given at the finale of the performance.

 

After stating some minor announcements and expressing gratitude to the school's sponsors - including him and Akino? Asano? Akame? He's always forgetful when it comes to names - the principal proclaimed the end of the program. Aomine heave a large gulp of air before yawning - an unmerited (again, harbored from Tetsu's vocabulary) trait he obtained years ago.

 

Saiki was bouncing as he leave the platform and went down a couple flight of stairs to meet his father. The tanned man had already reprimanded him to be extra careful, doing things like bouncing off the stairs was already considered hazardous. Aomine had predicted just as much because not long after, he was speeding to catch his son after almost tripping himself at the third to the last step.

 

"Careful, Saiki." He admonished lightly, hoisting his son back to his feet. He's so much like Sakurai, he's very clumsy. Not that Aomine could love him lesser just because of that.

 

"Sorry, Dad!" Saiki apologized though his face was beaming. "Have you taken some pictures? May I see? May I see?"

 

"Relax, you dummy," his father chuckled, ruffling his hair with a soft look. "We got lots of time for that! How about we grab some meal first?" He said, no longer controling his grin at his son's joyous hap.

 

"Meal?" The little bluenette paused, hazelnut eyes deep in thought. "Hmm~~ Maji Burger then!" He proclaimed, as if there's no one to stop him from doing so (Aomine will do his best to secure that).

 

"Okay! Majiba then." He said to second the motion, lifting his son up to his shoulders and walking towards the exit.

 

"We were very thankful for your overwhelming support, Aomine-san!" The principal, Ms. Kunima? Kanime? (Names, names), said her face flustered. She hurried off from her podium just to offer her great appreciation towards the successful event and to give him a most deserved handshake (the handshake, especially).

 

"Yeah," Aomine mumbled, remembering the well rehearsed speech Tetsu, Satsuki and he had worked for during his CEO-in-training days. "Helping this school and providing the needs of these adorable children within the best of my capabilities were one of the ways I know to promote and advocate its admirable, educational oath," by the time he finished his sentence, Saiki was already making small pigtails on his hair with a few sneaked loom bands.

 

"It's been my honor," she said a little breathlessly, still stabilizing her breathing from sprinting until here, "to finally meet you in person." Within a moment, she seized his hand and gave a small handshake before disappearing in the crowd of bustling, proud parents and enthusiastic children. Aomine didn't miss the reddening of her ears.

 

Right by the exit, they were (once again) stopped by the brownhead woman that Aomine could vaguely recognize. Akira - he recollected, because having a pair of orbs with a shade almost similar to 'him' made Aomine want to memorize her name until later or maybe tommorrow - was standing before him bashfully, cheeks blushing.

 

"Ao-Aomine-san... I... I-If you don't mind... I would like to be your friend... E-Eversince I've seen you, I... I felt this s-strong attraction-- I..." she looks like she's about to cry and Aomine wants to pull his face down altogether because Tetsu and Satsuki had blackmailed him of swearing not to make any girl cry ever again.

 

'The least you could do now was to be a lesser jerk than you already are, Aomine-kun.' Tetsu's scathing remark still riverberated clearly in his brain.

 

"Sure," he quickly replied, sporting a soft, winning smile. "I could always provide an empty slot for a needing friend. I could be a jerk sometimes though."

 

The girl smiled genuinely, "Send your lucky woman my regards then, Aomine-san!"

 

Aomine, no longer feeling the need to correct that the lucky 'woman' was actually a man, said, "Will do, Akira-san, will do."

 

'Once he wakes up, I will.'

 

Sometimes, when you're going to reject someone, the best thing you could do is to make them smile like they did before they ever confessed to you.

 

But this time, eventhough Aomine might be rejected in the end (he regretted his mistakes and he knew he was too far from being forgiven), he could still crack up a smile with Sakurai doing nothing.

 

Yes, he loves him that much. For the past six years of his life, he'd learned that denial wasn't the best strategy to overcome it.

 

...

 

Despite his old man's insistence to at least grab something to eat before midnight, Aomine didn't. He sit still in the waiting lobby, chin tucked above tightly clasped hands. He was not accustomed to these kinds of things. Emotions were something deeply hidden beneath the depths of his ironed heart, digging them back again after all those difficult years was simply a whole, new, smouldering experience.

 

His brain didn't work that way. He's not used making decisions this difficult; decisions that involved the lives of the people who had changed and who will change his life. He can't do this, he just can't. Making heavy judgements was not his style; it was usually honored to the ones who were wiser and more dignified, like Akashi.

 

Aomine's father had left a moment ago to buy dinner for the both of them but his words remained echoing inside the dimensions of his brain.

 

'People change our lives in many ways, Daiki. You may change for the better or for the worse... But the most weighing change was always the one you choose for yourself. Even I couldn't imagine choosing one of you and abandoning the other. I admit that I couldn't even fulfill half of my role as your father. But I could only tell you this: choose not only for yourself but for the future of all of you. It's not because I was persuading you to be selfish... but because I was encouraging you to live a life without any more regrets."

 

With the senior's words in mind, Aomine finally fixed a firm decision with a wavering intake of breath and a single tear which was quickly wiped away. He was contemplating about the possibilities about making such conclusion when he noticed the soft creak of the door opening from the Emergency Room. Aomine was there to interrogate whoever who walked out who wasn't Sakurai in the immediate second (someone who happens to be the head doctor of the operation).

 

"HOW IS HE?" He didn't mean to be rude, but according to the doctor's raised brows and slightly twitching left eye, he's acting the exact opposite.

 

"To be honest, his vitals are still unstabilized. We need to make a lot of minor and major surgeries for his injuries. His brain was also damaged so it's not a good sign at all--"

 

"I... I have made my decision..." Aomine cut the chase off. They'll be landing there anyway, better make it quick and less hurtful. If Sakurai was here, he would do the same thing. 'For the future and not only for himself,' he kept the words repeating inside his head. And maybe... maybe the reason why he wants this over quickly was because it might not take long enough for him to completely break down infront of them, infront of the stoic doctors, infront of the professional nurses... infront of his father... infront of the people that had been the reason why he made those walls.

 

The doctor sighed, annoyed for being interrupted, not that Aomine could do everything about it, "What is it?"

 

...

 

"Daddy?" Saiki inquired, disrupting Aomine's internal musings. The father blinked as reality came back before his eyes.

 

"Ah... yes? What do you want little man?"

 

The successful businessman fondly watched as his son devour his own burger, completely smitten at the sight. Saiki hurriedly chewed and swallowed as he answered, "Are we gonna buy some snacks for Uncle Yuki and Ryo too? You said we might meet them at the hospital."

 

Aomine chuckled. His son was always thoughtful, as thoughtful and caring as his other father. He looked around the place in nostalgia. Majiba might not have expensive dishes and fancy tables, but the establishment's ambiance was comforting and it had been a part of his life... of his self. It had its own place in Aomine's heart and it's worth more than a dozen gourmet restaurants. Besides, the burgers here were Saiki's favorite and he never mind visiting the place from time to time.

 

"Of course we could." He replied, not missing a beat.

 

"Really?! Yesss!" The brown eyed child cheered, smiling too bug that the corners of his mouth were crinkling. "Oh! Oh, and what about we buy some for your doctor friend too?"

 

"He's not a doctor friend, his name is Imayoshi Shouichi." The older bluenette refused the great urge to roll his eyes at his sly, former senpai. Imayoshi had been a great part of his change. Aomine's quite sure that Imayoshi frequented his visits at the hospital not just because he wanted to 'hang out' and cease his boredom.

 

"Yes, yes! Uncle Shou! And the plant haired doctor too!"

 

He snorted at his son's never ending enthusiasm, "Plant haired doctor? Really? Maybe you're talking about Midorima."

 

"Hmm-hmm!" Saiki confirmed, giggling, "Uncle Shin and his husband too!" He then proceeded counting with his fingers, deep in thought, "So that means we need to buy five more meals."

 

Aomine smiled, "Sure, anything for you, dummy."

 

As it turned out, Midorima's father was actually one of the major people who were running the hospital. Imayoshi, with his father as one of the head doctors, had known of this already, but chose to keep the information instead. Not until Aomine started visiting the hospital in a daily basis for... some reasons.

 

"Aomine-sama, is there something you want to buy?" A waiter approached as he noticed Aomine's signal.

 

"5 orders of this meal please," he said pointing at something in the menu he already had long memorized.

 

Being honored with the special treatment could always come in handy. As years passed, the company's range of services and goods expanded. It is not only limited to furnitures, housings and landscaping anymore, it had also entered the world of food technology. Aomine had became one of the respectable shareholders of Majiba as his corporation's newly extended branch.

 

"Hurry up! Hurry up, dad! We might miss them!" Saiki chirped excitedly as the order was personally handed over their table. Some old women from the other side cooed, Aomine gave them a polite smile in return before leaving.

 

"Okay, okay!" Aomine laughed as his son pulled him towards the exit, his small body vibrating with never ending frenzy. A butler hurried beside them to assist with their extra baggage while another had the car's door open before they arrived at the parking lot. He likes his guards to maintain a distance as far as considered possible. Not too far when they needed immediate help and not too close that they could disrupt their privacy.

 

The ride to the hospital had been comfortable and cheerful. Aomine would always listen to his son's idle chatter about his escapades in school. They were in the middle of recalling the moment when Saiki had his very first tooth removed when the car halted.

 

They're already here. It's been six years eversince and still, he keeps coming back here.

 

He held Saiki's hand as they stepped into the main doors, the plastic of food held in his other one. Few nurses recognized him and bowed deeply before scurrying off to attend to their duties while others were too preoccupied with their jobs or too sleepy to even notice the people who entered. It's not that Aomine minded. He understands now, he'd developed a little bit of maturity, he knows he's not the only person with problems.

 

"Aominecchi! Saicchi!" The addressed person whipped his head quickly towards the source of the familiar squealing.

 

"Uncle Ryo!!!" Saiki returned the squeal with the same intensity as his uncle. Aomine should at least minimize their time together if he still wants his ear drums to survive before it's too late.

 

Kise's grin was large and genuine at the sight of his self-proclaimed foster son. Kasamatsu, his recently confirmed fiance (Kise's the one who proposed, mind you), gave them a small, tired one, resting his elbows on the arms of his wheelchair. Eventhough it's highly automated, Kise always insist to be the one who'll push the wheelchair for Kasamatsu himself.

 

Kasamatsu was wearing a hand-made (alternatively, Kise-made) bonnet which was too large for his head and too pink for his liking. Kise, however, looked fresh out of photoshoot.

 

But besides his part time job, surprisingly, Kise proceeded to study in uni and achieved a major degree as a professional fashion designer and a minor one as a house interior developer (a skill of his that Aomine could always consult with if ever he was having troubles with choosing the best curtains or the most appropriate table cloth for a business dinner and many, many, many more).

 

He also built multiple studios here and abroad. The brand he's advertising and originating spread like wildfire (partly because he's still at the peak of his popularity) and the whole world witnessed how an international, careless star model (who will probably fade anytime soon with 5 or 6 more obscene scandals) evolved into a successful, completely packaged, gorgeous man with a fixed goal and an inspiration. And speaking of inspiration, Aomine could bet all of his money in the bank (along with the rest of his other accounts) that it's because of one Kasamatsu Yukio.

 

The grumpy, raven haired senpai whom had long ago been having financial problems for treatment and chemo.

 

Even until now, Aomine could still see that Kise's maddening love for Kasamatsu is still unwavering. Kasamatsu, was also just as hopeless.

 

"Saiki! You've grown eversince I last saw you!"

 

"Don't trick me uncle," Saiki giggled, "We've just met two days ago!"

 

Saiki was always too old for his age. Living with Aomine, someone who's not used to baby talk and doting, approached parenthood in a more liberal and modern fashion. He never made cooing noises like mother's did when teasing their baby, he talks to a one year old Saiki casually; like what he did when he talks to young adults his age. He refrained (with great amount of willpower) using swear words and he told him unusual bedtime stories (like how basketball made two players from the opposite teams fell inlove with each other) in straight Japanese words, no baby talks, no cutesy noises.

 

The assistance of his friends helped a lot too. Satsuki gave him tips and easy to follow instructions. Kuroko, who happens to be the unexpecting intern during Aomine's trainee days, also stopped by his house frequently after a day full of forums, workshops and trainings.

 

"How's the therapy?" The tanned man inquired conversationally.

 

Kise and Kasamatsu shared a meaningful look befire Kise replied, lips quirking slightly, "The treatment was actually working. Today's his very last session."

 

"That's good," Aomine said, trully happy for the both of them, "that's good."

 

Aomine and Kise ended their sexual relationship in good terms. Their friendship was strong enough to hold them together. Long ago, they finally decided that it's better to cut the bonds that tie them together other than friendship.

 

"I wish he could hurry up and see how things change for the best..." Kise said softly, empathetic for Aomine. Six suffering years for his old teammate was considered enough already.

 

"I really do hope so," The other answered, eyeing the interesting scene of a lauging Kasamatsu and Saiki who was determined to climb over him and hug the living daylights out of the older man.

 

"Saiki wants to give you these."

 

A chortle.

 

"Majiba, really? That brings lots of memories..."

 

"Dad?" A small voice popped from below, the smaller brunette seemingly settled on embracing Kasamatsu's right arm in a vice grip instead.

 

"Hmm?"

 

"We're gonna see Papa today too, right?"

 

Oh. Right.

 

"We're going to come too!" The oldest of them stated, pressing a button for the wheelchair to lurch a few steps forward, "Kise's next meeting would be scheduled five hours later, maybe we could spend some more quality time."

 

Kise nodded, Saiki beamed even more, "Does that mean I get to be with you longer, Uncle Ryo?"

 

"Yep."

 

The four went upstairs to the room they've known for too long. Two of them were anticipating and anxious, one was filled with longing and curiosity, and the last was all of those mixed together.

 

...

 

Aomine was right before the doctor (who coincidentally was, in fact, Imayoshi's father, a truth Aomine had belatedly realized) once the door was opened again after a 6 hour surgery. Along with the tanned teen was Momoi, Kuroko and his father whom had risen from their seats as well. Aomine's hair was a certified ragged mess and he barely acquired any type, shape or form of sleep.

 

"What is it? How is it? WHAT HAPPENED?" barely containing himself, Aomine asked questions after questions simultaneously towards the already tired doctor. He already had a hunch about the results. Of course he does, he was the one who made the decision. Afterall, it's the least that he could do for him. Because if Sakurai was here, he'll surely make the same verdict.

 

And yet, he guessed, six hours was never enough to get himself ready for the outcome.

 

The man clad in white breathed before starting his story, "The child is alive. The patient's situation is gradually progressing. However, we still need to give him a constant maintenance of fluids and other medications. A life support too. Since that's the only way to provide the needed nutrients for the baby until he was born."

 

What?

 

He gulped before asking the lingering question, "W-Why? What happened? H-How about him? Sakurai?"

 

"He's comatosed."

 

He's not dead, but comatosed.

 

"And we need to support the two-month-old child until he or she was ready to be born."

 

A brand new hope sparked a small fire in his heart. It's still not too late.

 

Until it was.

 

When it was six years later and Sakurai made no chance of waking up.

 

...

 

(7 months later)

 

"We operated a cesarean section for the patient, Sakurai Ryou. The child was born successfully, he was currently incubated at the pedia center. You might as well take a look on your newborn, if you want to."

 

...

 

"Papa!" Saiki cheered, running rampant in his archer costume towards a pale man with a specific shade of brown hair. IV tubes were attached in his pliant body, connecting into a machine which provides the needs of his survival. Remove the machine and you might as well have him removed out of the living world.

 

The truth was, many had been suggesting to remove Sakurai's life support; to grant him peace and freedom from any more sufferings. His father however, - the same father who came plummeting in the hospital and punched him square in the nose - was convinced otherwise. He looks like Sakurai, only with more defined jaw and more hollowed cheek (and also with more wrinkles). But in his eyes were the same fire lit inside Sakurai's ones.

 

Sakurai-san looks vulnerable, breakable and hostile at the same time. The lines marking his forehead describes his worries and sorrow, and the dark hue beneath his eyes, the hours spent without sleep. He looks entirely like an older version of Ryou. It didn't help alleviate Aomine's sufferings at all.

 

"Saiki was here again!!!" The smaller bluenette's voice kept echoing inside the hospital's walls.

 

The four of them arrived at room 545. Kise was quietly maneouvering Kasamatsu inside and there's no other sound heard but the soft rolling of the wheels. The visitings had already developed into a dedicated routine. Aomine and Saiki would always provide time to visit Sakurai as frequent as they could. Kise and his soon to be husband sojourn from time to time too whenever they happen to meet Aomine and his son somewhere on their way or inside the hospital.

 

Even Imayoshi, Midorima and Takao visited whenever they have the chance to. Momoi and Kuroko used to accompany him before, and sometimes, if they are available, they would also come and stop by. The former Touo team had also expressed their efforts by alotting time to collectively come and see their ex point guard.

 

The blonde and his lover stayed for awhile before excusing themselves because Kasamatsu still needs a lot of rest and Yukicchi must prepare himself healthy because they'll be having their first newborn very soon.

 

Saiki made himself comfortable by sitting beside his brownhead father and reading his newest book aloud. Once the engaged couple left, Aomine settled himself with observing the scene before him.

 

He never obscured the truth of Sakurai's situation from Saiki. He never concealed the fact that his son had two fathers either. That's because Aomine didn't want him to remain isolated away from what life really means. He wants to protect Saiki, and yet at the same time, he wanted his son to be open minded and understanding. And when would that actually happen if he didn't start now? At least he could do some part of the parenthood right, right?

 

...

Saiki was fast asleep with his head gingerly supported by his father's hand on his shoulders. Cautiously, Aomine emplace him atop a spare bed by the window. Now, without the soundly company of Saiki, the bluenette was truly alone with himself. 

 

Times like these always triggered the feelings - regret, sorrow, anguish and hatred on his very, very stupid mistakes bottled up together in an ominous mist of silent but destructive chaos - hidden inside the deepest, deepest part of his well masked heart to resurface, once again.

 

His smile, his tears, his reddened cheeks, his large, wondrous eyes that never cease to take his breath away from time to time, his annoying, very annoying, voice that doesn't seem to stop pointing out the best in him when in fact what he completely see in himself was a mess of bad, bad things.

 

The things that made his heart skip a beat, the things that made his pretension of being a heartless asshole a formidable challenge, the things that cracked his boundaries, the things he will rather die for than to outright admit it, the things that made him smile and contemplate that his life wasn't that bad were coming back in full force, choking the air out of his exhausted lungs. 

 

The air around him was suffocating, what with the heavy atmosphere of nostalgia that made his senses dull and cloudy. Water gathered up in a small swell at the corners of his eyes. With slow, unhurried steps, he made his way towards the person he'll wage war against the universe for. The pale, pliant body of the man before him only disheartened Aomine further, however, the slow, steady beating of Sakurai's heard depicted by the monitor beside him kept his hopes from wavering entirely.

 

The businessman pulled a chair quietly and seated himself beside the patient. "Hey," he croaked, sounding hoarse and tired and hopeless and desperate.

 

"Mushroom," Aomine started, the nickname rolling in his tongue with sincere love and fondness, "you better hurry up and wake up. The others were already waiting, they never left."

 

...

 

"AOMINECCHI!!!"

 

A person who could be generally identified as a respected, no-nonsense, godlike person with the softest mop of golden locks was bounding towards Aomine like the doglike, copycat rascal the former Teiko ace had known him way, way before.

 

It's 7:30 in the goddamn morning and sleep was something that doesn't exist last night when Aomine granted (again) Saiki's request of spending the night with his 'Mommy Mushroom'. And exactly, following the same logical reason, you can't expect the tanned man to be all marshmallows and puppies and rainbows right now. Because. He. Never. Fucking. Slept. Last. Night.

 

A hard kick was squarely delivered towards Aomine's ex teammate, sending the other toppled gracelessly on the ground. This, however, doesn't waver Kise's determination and compassion, he seemed even more resolute than what he had been for the rest of his glorious life.

 

"Kise, you bastard," Aomine warned, sheilding a partially stunned Saiki who looks like he'd forgotten that he was still chewing his beloved hamburger, "if you didn't calm the fuck down, I'll castrate you and make your children plans a truly impossible dream--"

 

"How could I calm down, Aominecchi?!" Kise interrupted, eyes wild and unfocused. A large lump was dropped in his stomach. They were a little early (and a bit excited) for Kasamatsu's last session of chemotherapy and decided to wait inside Sakurai's ward while Saiki and a zombie brained Aomine went to get some breakfast. Connecting Kise's unusual behavior to Sakurai's situation gave Aomine a terrifying set of images: Sakurai having a violent seizure, Sakurai's monitor beeping into a flat, lifeless line, Sakurai totally giving up on life and dying--

 

"Sakuraicchi has woken up!!!"

 

Aomine had never thought Kise's annoying voice would ever sound like music to his ears (well, except those dark times that happened long, long ago and were meant to be entirely forgotten).

 

With speed he used to have while he was on The Zone, he carried Saiki and propelled the both of them back. Back to the one who supposed to be the heart of their home.

 

...

 

"Ao-Aomine-kun?"

Wide doe eyes referred to him with the same fierce kind of love, trust and affection. The orbs he desperately wanted to see so much all these years were now opened, holding the same fire of warmth and kindness.

 

Behold Sakurai Ryou, alive and moving. His lips were chapped and his thin arms were frail and pallid, what doesn't changed though, was the look on his eyes upon gazing back at Aomine's. And the man want nothing more than to hear the voice that had been so unreal, so impossibly soft and dreamlike again and again and again--

 

"A-Aomine-kun? Wh-Why are you here? I didn't think you'll still visit me after what happened just last day--" the brunette panicked. It's a good thing that he could still recollect the accident, what's bad was he still thought that it happened days ago when in fact a lot of years had passed already.

 

He could still recognize the bluenette, no amnesia. Thank god. Some of those comatosed people often wake up with no recollection of the life they once had before. The thought horrified him and he had never been glad not to experience it himself.

 

Aomine was rendered speechless, contemplating whether to laugh, to cry or just stand there. He's still in the middle of self-debating with himself if this was actually real or not. Without another beat, Saiki broke from his clutch and ran to his other father.

 

"I-I'm really, really sorry for imposing you like that last day, Aomine-kun!" Sakurai continued, almost close to hysteria, "I'm so sorry you have to accomodate the trouble of visiting me here. I swear it's not your fault! Maybe I'm just plain stupid that--"

 

"Mama!!!" Saiki squealed, glomping the elder brownhead in the most vicious hug he could achieve.

 

"Mama," Sakurai echoed, voice sounding faint, "The child's still barely 2 months when I went to the doctor recently. How... how? A-And how do you know what to name him anyways? I swear the only one I told them is my father... And why are you wearing a suite? Why...--- I... I can't understand..."

 

With this, Aomine threw his head back in laughter. Sakurai stared at him in confusion, thin brows furrowed slightly. Silently, the tanned man approached, willing to join his son too.

 

"Aomine-kun?" The face he grown to love so much bloomed into his favorite hue of red. Aomine leaned his forhead to Sakurai's, his chortling subsided into short puffs of laughter.

 

"It's already been years... Idiot..."

 

And at last... he's home. They're home.

 

***

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My promised happy ending~
> 
> Feel free to berate me and send me some virtual punches and kicks... Sorry guys, love you~ T.T
> 
> Kudos and comments, please?
> 
> [The 7th chapter for the omake]


	17. The Omake Chapter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A bonus chapter for those who requested and waited and hoped...
> 
> XD

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy!
> 
> (Work still unedited tho)

Omake Chapter:

 

13 months later.

 

It's a nice Sunday morning when Daiki woke up at the torturous Kpop ringtone (Ooh-Aah by Twice, as Ryou stubbornly insisted). Kpop had been one of his new and utterly odd fascinations (or dilemma, for Daiki's case — seeing that he was also roped into Ryou's shenanigans, an instance of it taking form as a ringtone that sounded electrical and downright demonic for his ears) throughout his pregnancy. But who was he to argue? He's already grateful enough that Ryou had never started worshipping those doll-like idols with pointed chins and pretty eyes.

 

Mother of cupcakes (cussing was already banned inside the house, Ryou deviced a swear jar and the payment was strict), the things he'll do for love.

 

But moving on without straying further from the topic, Daiki was dragged out forcefully from his most deserved sleep by the incessant sound coming from his mobile. Carefully, he removed Saiki's twiggly hands to properly sit up, a pillow cushioning his back against the headboard. He cast a brief look at his brown haired husband who was peacefully slumbering at the opposite side of the bed before answering the phone. The bright screen presenting the caller ID of one Kise Ryouta didn't even help to alleviate his growing irritation. It's 4:00 in the morning, IN THE MORNING of his day off for shouting out loud, and if this piece of an idiot didn't provide an acceptable reason for calling this early, Daiki will surely give him the punch of the century. He swore the bastard was worse off in his moods and peculiarities than an actual pregnant human (his bushy-browed husband for instance) and he wasn't even the one conceiving.

 

And speaking of pregnant...

 

"Oi, you prude, aren't you even aware that people are not usually awake—"

 

"HOLY SHIT, AOMINECCHI! YUKIO'S HAVING A CONTRACTION, HE'S EXPERIENCING CROWNING ALREADY. I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO, THE LABOR'S A WEEK BEFORE THE ESTIMATED SCHEDULE!!! Shit, I'm still at the hotel and I'm almost a train away from home! I called the rest of our friends but Akashicchi and Koukicchi are abroad and none of the rest could reach him immediately. FUCK, I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO—"

 

Right at this moment, Daiki could vividly picture how crazed Ryouta's eyes and how twisted his expression looked as he panicked. He yawned and rubbed the base of his temple, already feeling the first signs of the mounting headache.

 

"Relax! Don't panic, bastard! You're lucky we cancelled our summer vacation today. I'm already fishing for clothes, I'll reach Kasamatsu in an instant. Don't worry. Finish your business there and run back home as soon as you can. I'll manage."

 

He listened quietly as the other from the opposite line took large gulps of breath.

 

"Okay. I trust Yukio in you with my whole life. Please take care of him. And by the way, he's not 'Kasamatsu' now, he's a 'Kise'. See ya."

 

"Yes. And pardon me for the confusion, I can't call you both 'Kise', can I? And besides, my brain still failed to process that Kasamatsu's willing to deal with your shit the rest of his life, moreover to selflessly allow of replacing his surname with yours. Oh, poor soul."

 

He heard an indignant yowl.

 

"That's mean, Aominecchi—"

 

"Hurry up," Aomine smirked, feeling the odd and yet comforting familiarity of their usual bickering, "And meet your daughter already, dumbass."

 

"Daiki?" Sakurai croaked, sensing all the scuffling and scrambling as Aomine dived the drawers for clothes, socks and shoes. "Daiki-kun, where are you going? Don't tell me you're stealthily packing your things to elope with someone?" The sleep in his voice was evident. Sakurai laugh good-naturedly at his own joke and scratched his balloon of a stomach.

 

Aomine stopped briefly to frown, giving him a very incredulous look before continuing in his venture once more. "Don't be ridiculous, Ryou. I took a personal oath of never betraying the worth of our relationship ever again. I took great responsibility in maintaining—"

 

Sakurai chuckled, sitting himself (a little more difficult now given with the added weight of his belly, 5-month old by the way) at the edge of the bed with his feet on the furry carpet. "It's a joke, you dork. I'm just curious with all the mess you're making. It seems that you're in a hurry, has something happened in the office?"

 

Aomone heaved a long sigh, "Missus Kise's in labor. He's alone with only their helper and they're on the way to the nearest hospital. It's a good twenty minutes on a car ride from here and—"

 

"Really?!" Sakurai gasped. Clambering away as quickly as he possibly could and frantically scrabbling in his own dresser in turn. Aomine watched with a bucket full of perplexity. A corner of his mouth twitched.

 

"And pray tell me what on the good graces of Earth are you doing? Aomine Ryou?"

 

Ryou huffed in defiance, the ball of well-developed guts against the great Aomine Daiki that he was, "For your information, Aomine Daiki, if it isn't already and achingly obvious, I'm searching for fresh, ironed clothes as well because I'm coming with you."

 

Aomine stared at him unblinkingly, "No, you sweet son of a—" he checked Saiki, he's still sleeping, (but the swear jar cost like shit for him, it cost ten times as much for Sakurai himself; it's seriously unfair) "—teddy bear."

 

Ryou laughed once again, the sound highly comparable to the tinkling bells from Heaven, "Wow, I see you need more, um, work on your vocabularies. But no, you can't persuade me, Yuki-kun needs all th help that he can get! He don't have anyone besides his helper! Anything could happen and Aya-chan might need another pair of hands! There's a basket of fruits inside the fridge, we could brought it along too! Quick! I though we're in a rush!"

 

"Nope, no adventures at night for you, you defiant spawn. You stay here with Saiki, because it's safe here."

 

"I'm nowhere safer than anywhere with you, Daiki." The tenacious fire lit beneath those large, brownish orbs was highly unarguable and really, Aomine's long been a sucker for those eyes. He did the thing he knew right by instinct, he surrendered.

 

"Fine! Fine. But don't push yourself too much. When I tell you to sit and rest, you do as I say. Understand?" The tanned man said firmly. Sakurai's stubborness was first class, and although he found that trait endearing in its own way, precautionary measures were still needed to be performed anytime when it's necessary.

 

Ryou mocked a salute, "Aye, sir!" In no more than another moment, he's already dressed in jeans, long sleeved shirt and a size bigger hoodie. He's on his way to the bathroom for a quick wash and a toothbrush.

 

"Wait— how about Saiki? Oh no, don't tell me—"

 

"We'll bring him," the brunette said with conviction, "he could continue his sleep during the car ride." Thankfully, Saiki's capable of beeing asleep even during an Olympic Championship and therefore, Ryou can dress him without so much of a trouble.

 

It took them ten more minutes to be completely polished and another twenty five before arriving to the Central Tokyo Hospital.

 

...

 

"Ryou," Yukio panted, demanding to clutch Ryou's hand as some form of life line the moment they entered the room in a mad, worried dash. And when you mean clutch as gripping the other's hand like you're attempting to break each of the phalanges, then that's pretty much what the pregnant 'Kise' was doing. "I need you to tell me something—"

 

"What do you want to talk about, Yukio-san?" Came a calm reply as the brunette merely surrendered the survival of his poor, abused appendage. The raven's gaze were unfocused and he refused to eat anything. The elevated bed was doing nothing to stabilize his breathing and his forhead was already damp with sweat.

 

Aomine silently sat at the empty chair beside the bed, managing an armful of his peacefully sleeping son while attentively listening to the nurse's instruction, "His cervix is gradually effacing and contractions will be longer, stronger and closer together until it's fully dilated. We'll wait a few hours for the next stage of labor. For now, your company is what he all needs before the transitioning. And of course, having his spouse right at his side will make the process significantly better—"

 

"—His husband's already on his way, thank you."

 

The nurse nodded stiffly, "Then, I shall take my leave."

 

Aomine returned the gesture and refocused his attention to Yukio and Ryou.

 

"You remembered the dress we saw last time?" Yukio mindlessly babbled, "I'm actually about to buy them sometime today— a-and a-also... we're— we're supposed to shop for a few good, comfortable pillows for that new crib from Akashi and Furihata. Yeah, those two, quite a unique couple are they? I'm actually planning on making them my daughter's god fathers— oh! Oh, and, of course, you two! God knows, Ryou, if you don't come during the ceremony, I-I'll—"

 

The brownhead squeezed his friend's hand tighter, trying to distract him from probably the most excruciating pain he'll ever experience in his entire life, "We'll attend! Of course, we'll attend for you, Yukio-san! But for now, you have to be strong for Ryouta-san and for your child. Trust me, it will be worth while. And after that, we'll spend the next days scheming about her room's wallpaper and buying even more clothes for her—"

 

"—And we'll go that restaurant that sells the best curry?"

 

Ryou beamed brightly, "Yup! What else would you like to talk about, Yukio-san?"

 

...

 

The blonde arrived shortly just as the nurses we're already ushering Ryou and Aomine out of the room. His hair was ruffled wildly and he's making his stamina useful by dashing towards them like a madman, which was partly true given that he seemed to be already half-mad.

 

A doctor approached him on his way, "Sir, we're strictly prohibiting anyone inside other than his relatives or his—"

 

"Husband!" He shouted, finishing the statement himself, "I'm his husband, goddamn it! He needs me there—"

 

The man in white regarded him with a brief look before encouraging him inside, "Then you may go inside."

 

Ryouta sighed heavily, relief washing over him like icy water over smouldering coal. He cast one last glance towards Daiki and Ryou, finally recognizing their existence and gave a small but otherwise genuine smile, "Thank you."

 

"Hurry up, Yukio and your daughter are waiting for you." Aomine admonished lightly, chuckling at the tragedy of rumpled clothes and haggard expression just infront of him. Ryouta was never this indifferent towards his facade, he'll rather die than step outside the house with his hair undone.

 

"You... You should go home already, Aominecchi. I've hurled enough trouble already and you deserve your rests—"

 

"D-Don't worry, a-about it, Ryouta-san!" Ryou quipped all of a sudden, like the fabled mushroom that he was, "G-Gomenasai! Taking care of Yukio-san was never a trouble! We'll gladly help if n-necessary!"

 

Ryouta's eyes of hazelnut and honey widened before watering with warmth and gratification, "Thank you, Sakuraicchi, I owe you this one!" He engulfed the brunette into a quick hug before walking away just as briskly.

 

"Oi!" Daiki shouted, thankfully Saiki was already awake in his arms, throwing him an 'I'm confused but I'm still cute' look, "He's an 'Aomine' now!"

 

"I know," Ryouta yelled in return, not turning back, "It's a payback for calling Yukiocchi, 'Kasamatsu'! And you're just jealous because a handsome man like me hugged Ryoucchi!"

 

...

 

It's almost six when they found themselves strolling at the nearby park. Ryou refused to go home and insisted that they should at least wait after Yukio's delivery. The nuthead was too excited to meet Yukio's daughter and that signaled the end of Aomine's weekend plans for them. Saiki denied falling back to slumber too, persuading his parents for a box of parfait with the most mainstream but otherwise effective puppy eyes.

 

Subtly, Daiki's hand identified its route to Ryou's. Grinning and furiously blushing, Ryou clasped their hands and intertwined their fingers, Daiki's darker own dwarfing his fairer, slender ones. Their shoulders bumped each other's and Daiki's gut clenched and tightened with what Satsuki could coin as 'heaping affection' and 'overflowing sappiness'.

 

"He's going to be fine, Ryou." Daiki muttered in the comfortable silence, staring at Saiki's mop of midnight blue locks as he tottered ahead of them, humming a weird remix of a nursery rhyme and the latest Kpop song that he occassionally hears from his father's phone.

 

"Now that we think of it, I wonder how painful giving birth could be, seeing that I'm in the state of unconsciousness when Saiki was actually born."

 

Daiki flicked his forhead lightly, "Seriously Ryou, you worry too much for your own good."

 

"G-Gomena—"

 

"What have we agreed about apologizing for no apparent reason?" Aomine warned before his spouse could ever finish what he's about to say.

 

Ryou gasped, clapping a hand on his mouth. "Oh! D-Did I just— Oh my, I'm so sorry— I mean... Gomenasai—" he huffed, inhaling shortly before continuing, "I won't do it, again."

 

The bluenette bestowed him a quick peck, "Good."

 

"Daiki!" Ryou hissed, his face an excellent subtitute to a ripe tomato, "Saiki is infront of us!"

 

"So what?" Daiki said nonchalantly, his smirk telling a different story, "House rules says that PDA must be done out of Saiki's sight and technically, we're away from his line of vision."

 

"This is still not counted!" Saiki countered petulantly, pouting.

 

"Whatever the wife says." Daiki drawled, dodging as Ryou made a move to strangle his neck.

 

"I-I'm not a wife!"

 

"Yes, you are." Daiki teased, "You cook, you sweep and you do the laundry."

 

"I— That's not— It's still—"

 

"See? The loving wife you are, Ryou."

 

Ryou sighed, admitting defeat. He took a seat at the bench next to the playground, watching silently as Saiki ran at the nearest swing and fiddled it. Aomine set himself down beside his husband as well, already accustomed to Ryou's sudden mood shifts.

 

"Hey, Mushroom, care to share your thoughts?" He asked gently, the long lashes that framed those huge, incandescent orbs of brown rapturing his enthrallment.

 

"I just— It's..." Ryou paused to gather his thoughts, "It's just too good to be true, you know. Saiki's bright laughters, the mornings we spent together in bed, your smile, our time spent in different wonderful places together... it's overwhelming... It keeps bugging in my head— what if it's all been inside my mind? What if one day I'll wake up and all of this are gone? What if they aren't even true in the first place—"

 

"Don't." Daiki cut him short. He cupped Ryou's face in the most delicate way, mulling on how his cheeks looked chubbier and how it made him even cuter, "Whatever you're thinking in that weird head of yours. Stop it. This is not a dream, okay? I'm doing all of these because you deserve it. This is all for you and I'll do whatever it takes to make you the happiest person in this world. You understand? Because ever since you said 'Yes, I do' during that long ass, boring wedding ceremony, you're stuck with me forever. So stop crying already, you dumbass."

 

Ryou quirked a smile, tears still running freely down his face, "That's a swear word, Daiki. Don't forget to deposit some amount in our swear jar."

 

"What?! That's even counted?! Come on, Ryou, can't you let this slip just once?"

 

"Nope..."

 

"..."

 

"And also, we need to buy more Oreos."

 

"I just bought a box for you days ago, is it finished already?"

 

A petulant silence echoed with passion.

 

"..."

 

"Y'know, that thing you said that you're always safe when you're with me earlier..."

 

"I recalled saying a different phrase, but I think I knew what you're talking about. What of it, Daiki-kun?"

 

"Huh, it seems that you've been taking tips from Kuroko, that snarky basta—"

 

"Swear jar, Daiki."

 

"Okay, okay, I mean..."

 

"You mean?"

 

"I'm nowhere happier than anywhere with you, either, Ryou."

 

"I love you too, Daiki."

 

*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tell your feelings in the comment box please!


End file.
